


1000 Years

by EvelyneC138



Series: Camp Camp [1]
Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Caring David (Camp Camp), Childhood Friends, Cute, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Inspired by Music, Minor Violence, Romance, Slow Burn, he's a soft boi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-01-23 06:38:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18544327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvelyneC138/pseuds/EvelyneC138
Summary: You're reunited with your childhood friend and you couldn't be happier! You've both grown and changed quite a bit, but you're just as happy to be near him - maybe even a little more so?





	1. Happy Reunion

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Somewhere Only We Know](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14573151) by [Ram423](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ram423/pseuds/Ram423). 



> I am writing this while waiting for season 4, so seasons 1-3 will be completely canon to the story, but of course, who knows what's coming next? So this is definitely for funsies and cute fluff and just all the good that David deserves because he's a precious bean ♥ (some fluff and/or angst may occur - haven't quite decided yet ^^; ) This reader-insert is written with [blanks] in place of the Reader's name~

Okay. Flashlight? Check. Compass, first aid, flint? Check! Windbreaker, spare tarp, bug spray, water bottle? Check, check, and check!

You could hardly believe today was the day! It had been a good decade (plus a few years) since you'd been to Camp Campbell. It was just something your parents signed you up for as a kid, but once you'd moved states, you weren't able to attend for many years. Until today!

It was a little jarring to read the news that Cameron Campbell had admitted to many, MANY cases of fraud - among other things - but you were elated to see that the camp was now run by your former fellow-camper, David! Your face wore a wide grin as you packed, thinking back to your camp days as children. David hadn't always liked Camp Campbell, but one day he turned around and truly did his best to make everyone's camp experience the best it could be - including yours. You knew for certain you wouldn't have enjoyed summer camp as much as you had without David's company - that boy was practically a living sunbeam!

Their newspaper ad for a new counselor had you dialing that number in a heartbeat! And the fact that David remembered you was just great! He'd offered you a spot as probationary co-counselor immediately! He'd mentioned that he'd love to just give you the position, but the probationary period was the current co-counselor's idea, after a previous hiring incident. You didn't mind of course; you were absolutely certain your Camp Campbell spirit would shine through! And with that positive thinking, you'd packed up, told your parents you were moving out, and set off with the essentials strapped to your back!

\---

The bus ride was peaceful enough; those several hours over the state border were a good chance for you to power nap. When you awoke, you were just outside the main city, and you remembered it surprisingly well. Still grey and dingy, with the occasional shifty character here and there. Then the small marketplace, complete with hardware store and bus terminal, where you waited not-so-patiently for that familiar yellow vehicle.

When it finally pulled up, you couldn't help chuckling at those old breaks squeaking away. The doors opened and you smiled warmly. "Quartermaster!" you greeted him as you stepped onto the bus, "It's so great to see you again! How's the camp been?"  
His old eyes seemed to brighten juuuust a touch. "Not bad. Been better, been worse. Hope you don't regret coming back."

You chuckled a little awkwardly - same old Quartermaster. You took the seat just to his right and watched eagerly as the doors closed and he pulled back onto the forest road. Familiar pine, oak, and poplar trees flew past the windows as you neared your childhood summer camp, and the friend you missed so dearly.

You were so lost in the scenery and nostalgia that you were quite startled when the bus screeched to a halt once more, followed by a scream and a thud. Had you hit someone?? You rushed to the doors, which Quartermaster opened with a flat, "Bus is here", and hurried to the front bumper.

"Oh my goodness, are you okay??" You asked in a panicked tone, offering out your hand. As you glanced downward, you recognized that shade of auburn hair. His hand clasped yours and you spotted that familiar reddened elbow. "... David, is that you?"

Any discomfort he had seemed to instantly zap away as David hopped to his feet with an excited gasp. "It's so good to see you again, _____!" He hugged you tightly. "How have you been? I hope your journey here treated you well?"

You returned the hug in earnest. "David!! Gosh, I've missed you! I've been okay, finished school, and all that. The trip was good - caught some Z's on the bus in!"

You stepped back and readjusted the straps on your backpack squarely on your shoulders. Taking a good look at him, you couldn't say you were really surprised at what 24-year-old David looked like. He still grew his hair into the same cute tuff, and he still wore that Cameron-esque explorer's vest, complete with shorts, white socks, and nature-walk-friendly shoes. The things that stood out most were his yellow Camp Campbell tshirt, now tied into a neckerchief, and that was TALL. You could hardly believe that, once upon a time, he used to barely reach your shoulder. "Gosh, you've grown up so much."

"And so have you! You've become quite the lovely young woman, _____. I think Camp Campbell's lucky to have you!"

You couldn't help blushing a little at his compliment. But then again, David had always been like that - always seeing the best in people.

"Oh, but we can chat and catch up later. For now, let's get you settled in! There's a spare room for you in the counselor's cabin! May I take your bag for you?" He held out both hands, that comforting smile beaming down on you.

"Sure, thanks!" You swung your bag off and handed it to him, and the two of you walked briskly to the cabin. The trail was just as you'd remembered it, though it felt a little odd not to turn toward the camper's tents.

By the mess hall, you spotted the camp flag and, surprising yourself, you saluted in muscle memory. Before you'd really realized what you'd done, David let out another happy gasp. "You even remember the salute!" He mirrored you, proudly puffing out his thin chest. "I'm just so excited! I don't think I'm going to sleep at all tonight, haha."

You laughed along with him, and a sense of warmth filled your heart. You'd made so many happy memories in this place, with David, Jasper, Darla, Greg - even Campbell! You were happy you got to finish the schooling you'd wanted, but you couldn't believe how much you'd missed this place.

You were at the counselor's cabin before you knew it, and David made a grand, welcoming gesture. "Welcome to the counselor's cabin, for the first time, as a counselor!"

Of course, this cabin hadn't really changed. The chipped paperwork desk was still there, the worn couch and, honestly, ancient television set. The only new addition was what were clearly David's camp photos on the wall above the desk. Your group photo by the lake when you were kids was one of them, and you couldn't help getting a closer look.

David followed and smiled warmly over your shoulder. "Those were great times, weren't they? I can't wait to make new memories with you!"

"Me too," you replied softly, "I can't wait to work with you, and see you with the campers tomorrow. Are they anything like we were back in the day?"

He laughed a little nervously, though his smile never wavered. "They're certainly.. energetic! Our campers are a unique bunch, and I know they've all got lessons that need learning. But the important thing is that they're all friends! At least, I think that's what's most important!"

You nodded in agreement and wanted to reply further, but a yawn cut you off. "... O-Oh, gosh. Sorry, David. I guess my nap on the bus wasn't as effective as I'd hoped."

"That's okay, ____. Let's take your things to your room, and then you can turn in for the night. We'll start early tomorrow; finish up your paperwork, introduce you to Gwen once she's awake, and then you can meet all our campers!"

You agreed that that sounded lovely and followed him to your room. It was quaint, and the small window let in the cool forest air. Your bag was set by a nightstand with a single drawer, and a photo frame set on top. You smiled once more seeing the photo of you and David as kids.

"Just a little 'welcome back' gift! I found it in my old photo album, I thought you'd like to have it!"

"David, I love it, thank you! I'll have to work hard to catch up to your photo collection," you giggled, then yawned again. "I'll see you in the morning - still 0900?"

He saluted you proudly. "Yes indeedy!" Then he lowered his arm and hugged you once more. "It really is so good to see you here again, ____. Sleep tight, and sweet dreams."

You sleepily returned the hug, noting how different it felt to have his head over your shoulder. "You too, David. Goodnight."

He waved and closed the door behind him. You took a few minutes to hang up your light jacket and just changed into your camp shirt and shorts. Sunrise would come before you knew it, and you couldn't wait to get started.


	2. In the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You'll meet all the campers and go on an adventure! What could possibly go wrong?

Well-rested and more excited than you'd ever been before, you sprang from bed just as the sun crested the horizon. You brushed your teeth and combed your hair neatly before heading into the main hall to David's room. His door was easily distinguished by both the "Campe Diem" banner aaaand the lack of the "Gwen's Room - Keep Out" sign.

You knocked with enthusiasm. "Good morning, David!"

"Gooood morning, ____!" He replied, snapping the door open quick as lightning. "Wowzers, you really are excited - I've never seen anyone else up as early as I am! I finished your paperwork last night before bed, so you're all set to start as our probationary co-counselor!"

David led you out of the cabin and back down to the mess hall. Quartermaster was just arriving when you entered the building. He looked like he hadn't slept all night, but it wasn't deterring him from preparing breakfast. You'd learned over the years it was better not to ask.

"So, fellow counselor," you giggled a little, "what's on the agenda today?"

"Today's camp exploration is for Nerris! She's very dedicated to her LARP and fantasy adventures! So she's taken the last week to write out a quest for everyone to go on!"

Your eyes lit up. "That sounds amazing! Man, I can't wait for everyone to wake up, haha."

Quartermaster served you both some scrambled eggs and good ol' mystery meat. It hadn't killed you yet, so you figured it was edible. As you finished eating, you insisted on helping Quartermaster with the dishes, as a thank you for all the years that he served you breakfast as a kid. He kind of grunted in response but didn't reject the help as he continued dishing out eggs, so you scrubbed away.

Just as you'd washed the last dish, you heard the front doors open and David cheered, "Good morning, campers! I hope everyone slept well?"

"As well as we ever do on those cheap bedrolls." You heard a grumpy boy reply and frowned a little. David's hesitance the night before mad a little more sense hearing that. But you supposed every camp had its problem kid - heck, even David needed a little nudge to really see the good in Camp Campbell!

"Well, I for one am greatly looking forward to today's QUEST!" A light lisp lingered on her words and you figured that must've been Nerris! She, at least, sounded delightful.

"I am too, Nerris!" David beamed, "But before that! I've got someone I'd like everyone to meet!"

You figured that was your queue! You wrung the dish sponge dry and wiped your hands before straightening your shirt and exiting the kitchen area with your best smile. "Hello, everyone!"

"This is ____! She was my fellow camper back in the day, and now she's here as our newest co-counselor!"

There were some half-hearted "Hey, ____" from the kids, but most stayed quiet. Some even smiled, so that was a good sign, right?

"Now, I want you all to treat her with respect! She's a new counselor, but she knew this camp even better than I did when we were little! I'm sure you'll all get along just great!"

You nodded. "You'll never wanna go up against me in a game of hide and seek though! I guarantee I'll find ya!" You laughed warmly then looked down at Nerris, a little girl with an adorable wizard's hat and matching cape - and even little elf ears! "Now then, after breakfast, David's told me that we're going on quite the adventure today?"

"Oh, yes!" Nerris replied, eagerly sitting down. She scooped some eggs into her mouth and resumed speaking, "I haff an increbible jorney planned!"

You couldn't help laughing again. "That sounds lovely, Nerris, but please don't talk while your eating. We wouldn't want you to choke on such an important day!"

She swallowed and made a small bowing gesture before continuing to scarf down her breakfast.

The rest of the campers followed suit and you took the time to go around and formally introduce yourself to each kid. David had already told you everyone's names, but introductions never hurt!

"So, how'd David sucker you into coming back here?" That same harsh voice spoke up and you turned to face him.

"David didn't do anything of the sort," you huffed a little, "I saw that Camp Campbell needed more staff and I happily applied! I loved this place when I was a kid, I made some of the best memories here. I probably would've stayed and been a counselor from the start, if my family hadn't moved so far away..."

"Wow, I didn't think anyone genuinely liked this camp except for David. Anything's possible, I guess."

You frowned, and you were about to say something more, but David's arm around your shoulder surprised you.

"I'm gonna stop you right there, Max. Don't you think ____'s first day back to camp should be welcoming and friendly?"

He rolled his eyes a little, but the other campers at his side spoke up. The taller boy first, Neil, "Yeah, Max, we're all here cause we like different things. There's nothing wrong with liking the camp - even we've made memories here!"

Then the little green-haired girl, Nikki, "Yeah, we've had TONS of fun times! Camp's not all bad, right?"

"Yeah, fine.. I guess so..." Max sighed. "Well... welcome back, or whatever."

You smiled and ruffled his hair a little, "Thanks, Max. I promise I'll do my best to give everyone here even more great memories and experiences together! After all, that's what summer camp is for!"

The mess hall doors opened again and your other co-counselor entered with a loud yawn. "Mornin'... Well, you two look cozy."

She eyed you and you were puzzled for a moment, until you realized David still had his arm around you. "Oh, David was just saving me from big bad Max, haha!"

You heard Neil snicker at your remark as David removed his arm. "Good morning, Gwen! Are you sure you don't want to join us for today's quest?"

"Nah, I'm good. You've got ____ to help you with the rascals today, so I'm gonna take some time to catch up on paperwork."

"Well that's awfully diligent of you, Gwen!" David turned back to you. "Guess it's just us today!"

The children finished their breakfast soon enough and you thanked Quartermaster again before leaving the mess hall. Once you'd entered the activities field, David immediately took character, bowing as you would to queen. "So, fair Nerris the Cute, what are we questing for today?"

Nerris threw a handful of glittery powder into the air as she replied. "Today's journey will take us deep into the Forbidden Woods, where we will search for the famed Cave of Spells~! It will be a harrowing adventure, but we will prevail so long as we work together!"

You copied David's bow and smiled widely. "Nerris the Cute, we are honored to travel in your company!"

The young elf looked positively tickled to have someone else enthusiastically play along. She handed out character sheets for everyone, complete with their abilities. Harrison was her mage apprentice, which he didn't seem too happy about, but Nerris promised she'd be his stage assistant for his camp day, so he agreed.

Nurf, Nikki, and Space Kid were warriors - Max and Ered were rogues, and everyone else was assigned either to warlocks or alchemists. David and yourself were clerics, since you had the first aid kits.

Nerris did, indeed, lead the company into the forest, mostly along the trail. Max did well fending off a few oddly aggressive squirrels, and Nikki chased off an entire family of weasels. You made a mental note to call someone about those later. Eventually, you reached a cave that.. looked like Cameron had probably hidden something in before. The "keep out, nothing to see here" signs had worn away over the years.

"We've found it!" Nerris announced. "Let us journey forward, comrades!"

All in all, the kids were getting along all right. Nurf had definitely turned Space Kid into a weapon of some kind early on in the trek, but Space Kid didn't seem to mind. He'd taken to shouting "taste my fury!" when Nurf swung him around.

However, Dolph and Neil seemed to have separate ideas upon entering the cave. "As I've said before, Dolph, we can't just add different metals to the lantern to change the colour! You need specific elements to do that!"

"But zis fire is boring! Just ze same old orange und red... I vant a blue fire! Or maybe even green!"

The two began bickering loudly, fighting over who would hold the lantern. You ran to them, placing a hand on their shoulders. "Hey now, let's not fight among ourselves on such a perilous journey, hmm? Neil, you've had the lantern for the whole journey. Perhaps Dolph can at least have a turn carrying it?"

"Sank you, miss _____! I promise I vill take good care of it!"

Neil begrudgingly handed Dolph the lantern, and the party resumed walking. At least, for a couple minutes, before the cave suddenly went dark.

"Dolph! What did you do?" Neil asked angrily.

"I did nothing! Nikki tackled mine shoulder und ze lantern fell to ze ground!"

"Well, I had to! I saw a spider on you and I wanted to eat it to gain its power!"

"Nobody panic! I have an extra candle in my pocket," Nurf spoke up and lit... something. It certainly did produce enough light to see with, but.. that odd hissing sound... !!

David realized it too and bolted toward the larger child. "Nurf, that's not a candle - that's **dynamite**!"

Nurf seemingly panicked and, rather than putting out the fuse, he chucked the stick out of the cave. The resulting explosion rocked the cave walls and what little sunlight there was quickly extinguished as rocks came crashing down on the entrance.

...

You coughed as the dust settled. "I-Is everyone okay??"

A garbled mess of "uh-huh"s echoed around you. You had each camper sound off, just to be safe. Everyone was conscious and unharmed.

"Well this is just great. Now what?" Max grumbled.

"Now, we be thankful that you gave me my cellphone back, and that Gwen decided to stay behind," David replied, only a hint of snark in his voice. "I'll just message her and let her know that we're trapped."

You pulled out your own cellphone and held it by your face. "Everyone, I want you to slowly and carefully make your way over to me. The last thing we need is to lose someone in the dark." You kept a head count until every camper had huddled close enough for you to see them. Then you let them space out just enough to be comfortable.

"Nurf, where in blazes did you even get a stick of dynamite?" Preston asked.

"I found it with the rest of the candles that David told us to grab last time there was a power outage."

"Ooookay. Mental note to check everyone's emergency tent supplies and make sure no one else has any explosive candles." David mumbled to himself. Somehow, it didn't surprise you that Campbell had illegal items stashed at the camp.

Periodically, you checked your phone for the time. You did your best to check only every ten minutes or so, to conserve the battery, and your only light source.

In the quiet of the cave, you could suddenly hear little sniffles and sobs. You lit your phone once more and found Nerris, crying. "Oh my... Fair maiden, art thou afraid of the dark?"

"N-No..." she wiped her eyes and looked up at you. "This is all my fault. I should never have brought everyone to a cave..."

"Oh, sweetie..." you gently pulled her into a hug. "This isn't your fault Nerris, not one bit."

"That's right," David chimed in. "Accidents happen. The important thing is that no one was hurt! I'm sure Gwen and Quartermaster will be here before you know it!"

She agreed meekly, but refused to let you go. Around you, you could hear more of the children starting to worry and even a few sniffles, though you couldn't tell from who. Even David seemed a little discouraged. You took a deep breath, and you started to sing,

" _When the light is getting low_  
and the shadows start to grow  
and the places that you know  
seem like fantasy...  
There's a light inside your soul  
that's still shining in the cold  
with the truth;  
The promise in our hearts...  
Don't forget,  
I'm with you in the dark..."

Nerris stopped crying as you sang, and you could hear the campers shuffling closer to listen, so you continued. In the dim light of your phone, you could even see light smiles on their faces, and once more, David's arm came to rest around your shoulders.  
" _Don't forget.. I'm right here in your heart..._ " And as you sang the final note, light peeked into the cave.

"Is everyone okay??" Gwen's voice carried through as more and more rocks were moved from the entrance.

One by one, you and David filed each of the children out of the cave, and then yourselves. You gave Gwen a big hug. "Thank you for coming to save us, Gwen!"

"You should thank Campbell for moving all the rocks," she replied smugly.

Puzzled, you turned around to see Cameron Campbell himself lifting the fallen rocks away from the cave entrance.

"What is _he_ doing here?"

Cameron huffed. "Well, it was either 'move the rocks myself', or Gwen was going to call the police."

Gwen shot him a finger gun, then proudly rested her hand on her hip. "Glad to see everyone's safe and sound."

"No thanks to him," you mumbled, side-eyeing Cameron.

"But BIG thanks to you, ____!" David hugged you and swung you once around. "That was a lovely song to calm the campers and keep our hopes up. You always did have such a lovely singing voice!"

"Aww, thanks David!" You couldn't help blushing a little. "My mom used to sing to me when I was afraid of the dark, so it was all I could think to do... I'm glad it helped though."

There was an 'ahem' at waist height and you looked down to see Nikki and Nerris. Nikki in particular was giving you a bit of a sly smirk. Aaaaaand once again, you didn't realize David was still holding you. You pardoned yourself from the embrace and knelt down by the kids. "What's up, you two? Feeling alright?"

"Mhm," Nerris nodded. "I just wanted to thank you for that wonderful melody. Next time, I'll be sure to make you our bard!"

You laughed softly and waved as Quartermaster and Gwen escorted the kids back to the mess hall for an early dinner. In the corner of your eye, you caught Cameron sneaking away.

"Mister Campbell! Not quite the reunion I would've hoped for, but I suppose it's nice to see you again."

He froze, then turned on his heel, awkwardly scratching at his nape. "Ah yes, ____, it's been... many years! H-How've you been?"

"Just fine, thank you. Was certainly surprised to see you in the papers for fraud, but life's got a way of surprising you. What's more important is that you're going to go through every inch of this camp to remove any remaining things that could harm these kids, riiiight?"

He fiddled with his collar nervously. "I mean... T-That's... This is a big camp, that'll take a while..."

"Well, then you'd better get started first thing tomorrow!" David exclaimed. "These kids could've been really hurt today! How could you leave explosives just laying around here and there??"

"Well I was trying to hide them, but--"

Your cutting glare shut him up.

"... Right, not the point. I'll get rid of it all tomorrow." He grumbled, then trudged away to his tent.

You sighed heavily, then gasped as you were brought into yet another warm embrace. "D-David?"

"I'm sorry your first day back had to be so hectic," he said sadly. "I really wanted to give you a fun day back at Camp Campbell, but as you can see, it's been... difficult dealing with Campbell's messes..."

You hugged him back and rubbed his back gently. "Oh, David. I had a lot of fun today!"

He pulled away, surprised.

"I did! I got to walk the old camp paths with you this morning, - which I haven't done in forever - I got to meet everyone, go on a hike through the forest, and sing my first camp counselor song! That sounds pretty fun to me."

David smiled. "When you put it that way, today does sound pretty great. I... I really am glad you decided to come back, _____."

"Me too. Life in the city isn't nearly this exciting, haha," You ruffled his hair, like you used to when you were little. "What'dya say we go join everyone for some beans and potatoes?"

"Sounds good to me!"

The two of you reminisced all the way back to camp. Sure, today hadn't been perfect, but all in all, it was the Camp Campbell you remembered. Mischievous campers and all. It just needed a little fixing up, and you were more than happy to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song reader is singing is "Don't Forget" from the Deltarune OST! Specifically, the version by EchoFlower Productions! ♥ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ2_U5DCkVM


	3. Time Flies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Listened to this while writing this chapter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO0d2W64_hw]

Quartermaster had left a note in the kitchen this morning reading, 'Stomping the Rebellion, Feed Yourselves', so you and David were left prepping breakfast for the campers. With what little supplies there were in stock, you settled on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

"Guess I'll have to do some grocery shopping this afternoon," David hummed, handing you a peanut-buttered slice.

You took it and added your jellied half, placing the complete sandwich among the rest. "Want me to go with you? Two sets of hands could bring back more stuff!"

He beamed at you. "That sounds like a splendid idea! We'll head out after the morning's activities, while Gwen manages the afternoon before dinner!"

The two of you set out the sandwiches for the kids to grab from the service window, and not a moment too soon, as they began filing into the mess hall.

"Good morning, everyone!" you cheered. "I hope everyone likes pb&j!"

They were clearly excited to have something besides lumpy oatmeal, or the Quartermaster's... soup? Stew? It was definitely edible, but all these years later, you still weren't sure what exactly went into it. Every camper took a plate, sat down, and began munching away.

"I can make seconds if anyone wants one! And then we'll head outside for today's activities!"

David started washing plates while you munched on your own sandwich. Only Nurf, Dolph, and Nikki asked you for seconds, which you happily made.

Once everyone had finished eating, David eagerly lead the charge to the activities field. "I hope everyone's excited for this morning's archery practice!"

You couldn't help chuckling quietly to yourself. There was bound to be a little chaos letting these kids near sharp projectiles, but it was still a promised camp activity. You just made a mental note to avoid standing between the kids and the targets.

An arrow cut through the air just by your cheek and made you jolt backward.

"Nurf! Please don't fire your arrows until we've covered basic safety!" David scolded him immediately while rushing to your side. "Are you okay?"

You nodded and smiled softly. "I'm fine, David. He missed me completely."

David sighed in relief, then turned to the kids and began demonstrating how to properly use the bow. You glanced over and Nurf did, indeed, already have a red mark on his forearm from holding the bow incorrectly. You sighed softly and brought out a small first aid kit you kept handy for today. There were small, instant-cold patches in the side pocket, and you deftly peeled the backing off and stuck it over Nurf's arm.

"Hey! What gives?" Nurf recoiled away from you, then examined his arm. "My arm's all tingly... What is this thing?"

"Just a little something to help with the swelling. I've only got a few more, so everyone listen to David, okay?" You smiled at the kids, then to David.

He returned a smile twice as wide, offering you his bow and a set of arrows. "Do you still remember how to shoot?"

You smirked a little. Wordlessly, you nocked an arrow and lined up a shot, making sure to curve your arm away from the bow. You let it fly and your arrow sunk into the painted bullseye, just shy of dead center. There was a small chorus of "whoa"s from the campers, making you giggle a little. "It's still one of the only sports I enjoy, haha."

David was beaming, his smile stretched ear to ear. "Wowza! See kids? That's what comes from lots of practice and determination! You guys can do anything you set your minds to!"

One by one, the kids all began trying shots, taking turns in their respective archery lanes. No one hit the yellow center of their targets, but those that did hit the blue, and even the red, zones cheered for it! Before long, you found yourself smiling proudly.

\---

Morning eventually came to a close. You and David led everyone back to the mess hall for a lunch break while Gwen prepped the afternoon activity.

Quartermaster had returned at some point during the day, it seemed, as there was... meatloaf waiting when you arrived. Everyone sat down and cautiously began eating (and you couldn't really blame them).

"Hey, _____," David called you over to the back room. You followed and he handed you a small list. "Would you mind heading into town to pick up a few things?"

"Sure thing, David! I don't mind at all," you replied cheerfully.

David thanked you and handed you the Campmobile keys. "Feel free to take your time and get to know the town a little, too! It's our usual go-to if we ever need camp supplies!" He waved as you left through the back door.

The car was just as beat up as you'd remembered, though it seemed that David had added his own personal touch to the interior. His "Order of the Sparrow" badge hung from the rear-view mirror, and a collection of Farmer's Almanac cassettes sat in the passenger seat.

You quickly started up the vehicle and made your way down the camp dirt roads and into town. It was easy enough to find parking - the town only had, maybe, four or six residents that could drive - and the grocery store was pleasantly quiet. You leisurely gathered the items on David's list, realizing not all of them were in the same store. It was as though he meant for you to tour the town a little and you giggled quietly to yourself.

\--

About an hour had passed when you finally had everything on the list. The townsfolk had been very helpful and polite. You waved goodbye to Lester at Lester's Electronics as you entered the Campmobile. The sun was beginning to set as you drove back through the wooded path, humming the Camp Campbell song to yourself.

You parked the car in its usual spot by the mess hall and carefully removed your shopping bags. You could see the lights on inside, so you went to the back door, to avoid having to step around the campers with your arms full of things. Once the bags were safely set in the back room, you could hear a light chuckling coming from the main hall. Curiously, you pushed the door open and--

**"SURPRISE!"**

Your heart jumped as you were greeted by all the campers, Gwen, and David in a loud, mostly unanimous shout. You looked around the cabin, spying paper streamers on the ceiling and bowls of ice cream for everyone. Quartermaster stood at a rustic DJ table, playing music. "What's all this for?"

"David thought it'd be fun to officially welcome you back to Camp Campbell!" Nikki exclaimed, her face already covered in ice cream. "Were you surprised??"

You ruffled her hair fondly. "Haha, yes, I was very surprised!" You looked to David, who brought you a bowl of vanilla ice cream. "You didn't have to do all this!"

"It's been more than a decade since we last saw each other! And our reunion happened at Camp Campbell! I just had to celebrate!"

His enthusiasm brought a bright smile to your face. Then, you felt a little tug at your leg. "Oh! Hey, Nerris! What's up?"

The little elven sorceress pushed up her glasses and smiled. "I made you something, to thank you for yesterday!" From beneath her cape, Nerris revealed a beaded necklace. The majority of the necklace was a pattern of pink, blue, and purple beads from the Arts & Crafts camp supplies, but the centerpiece was a knitted eighth note, made of dark blue yarn.

Nerris gestured for you to kneel down, which you did, and she circled around you to clasp it shut. "It'll grant +5 to your Constitution! Since you're such a great bard, I thought you could use it for future quests!"

"Thank you, Nerris, I love it!" You beamed and patted her head, careful not to drop your ice cream. "We'll certainly have to make use of this soon!"

She smiled widely as she bounced away, claiming her own dessert bowl.

"Were we supposed to bring gifts?" Harrison asked, panicked. "I, uh..."

You giggled and pat his top hat. "No, Harrison, that's okay! This surprise party is more than enough for me. I'm happy to see everyone just having fun!"

"In that case," Quartermaster flipped one of his records over and flipped a switch near him on the wall. The music changed to an upbeat pop song and a disco ball dropped from the ceiling. "Everybody dance!"

"All riiiiight!" Ered was the first to begin dancing, which, of course, prompted everyone else to follow suit.

Gwen came up beside you, munching away on strawberry ice cream. "It's nice to see them not being total shits for once."

You laughed nervously. "Aww, Gwen. Kids will be kids, and you're only young once, after all."

She shrugged and walked away, taking a seat by the window.

"I'm glad you like your surprise!" David placed a gentle hand on your shoulder. "I really don't know what I would've done without you yesterday."

"Oh? I'm sure you would've handled everything just fine! You were one of the best when we were kids, after all."

David shook his head. "Being a good camper doesn't always mean I'm a good counselor. I don't think I would've been able to comfort the kids like you did." He laughed awkwardly. "I mean, I think most of them find me a little annoying, if I'm perfectly honest."

You couldn't hide a small frown. "I guess.. kids these days are different from how we were back then. I know the world's not as easy to smile in anymore. Seeing someone smiling all the time could be a little unnerving... But I've always appreciated your cheer! You pulled me out of a lot of bad days, y'know? Like that time I twisted my ankle hiking! You brought me breakfast every morning, because you didn't want me to miss out."

"I remember that!" David's smile grew a little. "I know I just gotta have faith in myself and the days ahead! But I'm still glad you're here, _____... Camp Campbell feels more like home with you here."

A soft blush crept up your cheeks and you found yourself hiding in your ice cream a little. Then the music died down and a slow beat filled the room. Everyone seemed to look at Quartermaster, a little bewildered.

"What? S'one o' my favourite songs..."

The campers shrugged and most sat down, taking the opportunity to finish their half-melted desserts. Preston was seemingly teaching Neil how to dance. You wondered if it was for his next play. Dolph approached them and asked to join in, and Preston pulled Space Kid in as his partner. They were doing more toe-stepping than two-stepping, but it was still precious.

As you finished your ice cream, David extended his hand to you. "Would you like to join me for a dance?"

You placed your bowl down and nodded, taking his hand in yours. You chuckled and looked up at David. "Do you still remember what they tried teaching us back then? I think I stepped on your feet at least a dozen times."

David deftly brought the two of you closer together, his hand on your waist and yours on his shoulder. With a gentle smile on his features, David led you through a gentle waltz.

"I maaay have taken an extra lesson or two during highschool," he chuckled. "It was something to do between studies, since I was never a fan of contact sports."

You nodded in response, a little dazed. You'd never actually danced with a guy before. Highschool prom had been awkward and lonely, though you hadn't minded at the time. It was lovely having someone guide you so carefully, while still taking a confident lead. In the back of your mind, you somehow weren't surprised it was David sharing your first dance with you.

As the music slowed and stopped, so too did your waltz. You had probably been spaced out a little too long, because Max eventually piped up with a disgruntled, "You guys gonna get a room, or should we go?"

You frowned and turned to say something, but David beat you to it. His hand let yours go and came to rest on his hip. "Max, that's very impolite of you! This party was for _____, afterall, and she should get to enjoy it!"

"And it's kind of uncool of you to tease a girl about stuff like that, Max." Ered spoke up, to your surprise. "Like, what if she has a boyfriend in the city, or something?"

Max simply rolled his eyes and took another bite of ice cream. It occurred to you that he hadn't moved from the same spot all evening.

"Well, I guess it is getting late." Gwen yawned. "You kids should get some sleep anyways. I think we've got... first aid training for broken bones tomorrow."

Almost everyone groaned in disappointment, but reluctantly left the mess hall. You even got a few smiling "goodnight"s on their way out.

"This was your welcome party, so don't worry about cleaning up!" David cheered. "Gwen and I will straighten up the hall, so you can turn in!"

You nodded and thanked them both, joking that you'd just be up extra early.

You walked back to the counselors' cabin with your arms wrapped around yourself. You were lost in thought and almost tripped over the threshold. You couldn't get your dance out of your head. Dancing with David had been... so warm and comforting. You thought about how it felt to look up at him smiling down at you. He'd gotten so tall, and he'd had zero trouble leading you around the dance floor. You'd both grown up, and it suddenly dawned on you how much you'd missed him.

He'd been your best friend at camp - always there for you when you needed a smile. He knew your favourite flowers, your favourite spots to watch the stars at night. You sent each other birthday cards outside of camp each year, until you'd graduated from highschool. You supposed he started working at Camp Campbell right away, and sending letters from out here was probably difficult. And you'd been so busy with studies that you stopped writing him...

Where had the years gone? Your chest felt a little tight the more you thought about it. David said he was happy you were here, but you wondered if he was at all upset about the time you'd lost touch... You shook your head as you grabbed your pajamas. There was no sense in worrying about all that now. You could only do your best to be a part of his life here, now, as a co-counselor! You washed up and tucked yourself in, ready for what tomorrow would bring!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long break! Just finished up a busy convention weekend >u< I do have an ending for this story in mind, so hopefully I can finish writing before Season 4 comes out!! ♥ (But boy howdy, my writing is super cheesy x'D)


	4. Mistakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feelings can bubble and float, or they can boil over and burn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Warning; chapter contains mild non-con)

As promised, you were up bright and early - even earlier than David! You left for the mess hall and, unsurprisingly, found Quartermaster had already prepared his usual mashed potatoes with... what you hoped were bacon bits. You dug into a tray and.. well, it was certainly some kind of meat.

Eventually, David popped by the hall and gave you a quick 'good morning' before grabbing some supplies and heading for the activities field. The general plan was to have you alternate between helping David and Gwen with their daily activities, but you wondered how the two of them ever kept this up before you arrived. It seemed like too much work for just two people...

Then the attic opened up above you and Mr. Campbell entered the main hall, wearing nothing but a white tank and his boxers. " _Mr. Campbell!_ What in the _world_ are you doing?"

He turned to you, seeming surprised to see you. "Oh, _____! Man, it's been years!" He made to give you a fond arm around the shoulder, but you inched away with a grimace on your face. Campbell looked down at himself and the embarrassment was clear on his face. "Oh, right. Be right back!"

You watched as Campbell clambered back up the ladder and you waited as various cluttering noises came muffled through the roof. After some time, he came back down, wearing the same old outfit you remembered from your childhood. He saluted you, then rested his hands on his hips. "What brings you back to Camp Campbell, _____?"

"Uh..." You gestured awkwardly to your green camp counselor shirt. "I'm... the new co-counselor? David mentioned that you were working under him now... Do you live in the attic?"

Campbell's expression soured a bit. "Yeah... I mean, I was living up there before, you know. My own, private Man Cave! But I do, unfortunately, work for David now... I'm not legally allowed to run the camp anymore."

You couldn't help chuckling a little - that information didn't surprise you in the least. When you were kids, Campbell was easy to idolize for creating such a fun place for you to spend your summer - and all the stories he told of his adventures! But getting older meant understanding that Camp Campbell was... in an odd morally grey area.

"I don't see anything wrong with working for David - he loves this camp more than anyone!" You cheered, finishing off your potatoes. "Speaking of which, he was hauling some pretty lofty equipment if you want to give him a hand in the field?"

"I guess so," Campbell grumbled, trudging out the door.

You shook your head with a soft sigh. You supposed working for the camp as community service was a better deserved punishment for Campbell, rather than just sitting in a jail cell.

"Good morning," Gwen yawned behind you as she entered the mess hall. "I'm not remotely surprised to see you up so early for your third day at camp. You and David really are peas in a pod."

A soft blush lit your cheeks. "He certainly inspired me when we were young. Much more so than Cameron Campbell ever did, haha."

She spied the lowered attic ladder and smirked. "I see you finally reunited with the old man. Definitely a shift in perspective, huh? It took David a while to see that Campbell was just looking out for himself - he even tried to frame David for fraud once."

You frowned at that. "Seriously? ... That must've been hard on David..."

"Yeah, he was severely disappointed. But... maybe a part of him saw it coming. I mean, he didn't cry over it, like he did when he got dumped."

"He had a GIRLFRIEND??" You asked, much louder than you'd intended.

There was a tiny, awkward silence, before Gwen's smirk grew. "Mhmm, though they only dated for... I think a week? She was a bit of a tank - broke up with him 'cause he wasn't 'man enough', or whatever. David cried for _days_."

"Poor guy..." Your brow furrowed. "David is an absolute sweetheart! Any girl would be lucky to have him."

"You mean like you?"

Her abrupt question certainly caught you off guard, and your face was bright red. "W-Wha-- Me?? I.. I mean, of course, I like David - I just said he's a great guy--"

Gwen's hand came to rest on your shoulder. "Noooo, you said he's 'an absolute sweetheart'. And I'm not surprised you think so, after the way you two danced last night."

"But, I mean... w-we're just friends, y'know? We were best friends as kids, a-and he was probably always gonna be a counselor, with how he used to watch out for everyone--"

" _Everyone_? Or just _you_?"

You kept opening your mouth to rebuttal, but the words wouldn't come. You tried to think about it; David had always been there when you fell down, or when you dropped your ice cream... It dawned on you that he couldn't possibly have been there for everyone else if he was always there for you.

"See? Very high probability he was crushing on you as a kid." Gwen nodded her head, as though she were giving sagely advice. Her hand moved to scratch at her chin. "The question is whether or not he still likes you that way _now_..."

"Gwen!!" You practically shrieked. "I-I don't even know if... if I--"

"If you're stuttering and getting flustered this much, I'm preeeeetty sure you like him. I'm still kinda weirded out that there's anyone out there who likes this place as much as David does, but as a fellow girl, I'm willing to help you out."

You hid your face in your hands. Was she right? Did you have a crush on David?

"I--"

"Whoops! Forgot something!" And of course, David would arrive at that exact moment. He marched to the back room, grabbing a few oranges from a cupboard, before coming back. He paused to say good morning to Gwen, then his gaze drifted to you and his expression became concerned. "_____, are you feeling all right? Your face is all red.."

"Is it?" You chirped, trying to laugh it off. "I'm fine, just ate my potatoes a little too quickly, I think..."

David closed the gap between you and pressed his forehead to yours - what with his hands full of oranges. "Well... you don't seem to have a fever. But don't push yourself, okay? Gwen and I are here to help!"

You nodded and he handed you an orange before he made his way back outside. "Vitamins are good for your health!"

With David gone, Gwen resumed smirking at you. "Aaaaand...?"

In a bit of a daze, you looked to her, and then to the orange David had given you. You brought your hand to your forehead, and it was still a little warm... You swallowed hard and murmured, "Okay... Maybe I have a _tiny_ crush on David."

\---

First aid had gone well enough; You'd decided to use Max and Nurf as examples when showing how to make a sling for broken arms, which meant neither of them could do much harm during the lesson. The last you wanted was real broken bones, haha.

Mr. Campbell had interrupted halfway through the morning, complaining that he'd cut his thumb while helping David. It was barely more than a papercut. You sighed and patched him up with some disinfectant and a bandaid, which he at least thanked you for before weaseling his way back into the attic for the remainder of the day.

You watched Nikki and Neil carefully take Max's arm out of the make-shift sling with a smile on your face. He acted tough, but Max was softer than he realized. Or maybe, he just didn't want to admit it. He showed a surprising amount of patience when Nikki jerked his arm the wrong way. If his arm really was broken, that would've hurt like heck.

"Okay, you little gremlins, let's clean up for lunch," Gwen called out, packing up her first aid kit.

You laughed and followed suit, watching as Nurf tore through his own sling with little struggle. Nerris approached him and said he'd make an excellent dungeon boss with his strength and intimidation, which he seemed to take rather well!

"Hey, everyone! I hope you're all ready for an exciting afternoon of bug-catching!" David burst into the mess hall with his usual enthusiasm.

"BUG-CATCHING?" Nikki jumped up, her eyes positively on fire. "Lemme at them critters!"

You and Gwen shared a chuckle at her excitement. "After lunch, you can catch whatever is _safe_ for you to handle, Nikki. Isn't that right, David?"

"Right you are, _____! Though there shouldn't be any poisonous species in these woods, you can never be too careful." He nodded. "I've taken the liberty of marking a few hazardous areas in the woods, so make sure you stay away. I know adventuring can be fun, but we really don't want anyone getting hurt, understood?"

There was a mixed bag of pleasant 'okay, David's and a soft chorus of groans, but you knew everything would be fine. The kids liked mischief, but nobody liked getting in trouble - or worse.

Lunch was honestly surprising! Quartermaster had prepared grilled cheese for everyone - with real cheese! You happily munched down on a sandwich while sitting between David and Gwen.

"How was first aid, you two?" David asked, cheery as ever. "I hope none of the kids gave you too much trouble."

Gwen shook her head. "Nah. _____, here had the great idea of making Max and Nurf our demonstrators. Kept 'em busy and gave them an odd sense of responsibility. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself."

You blushed a little. Sure, you'd given it thought last night, but you knew Gwen was just trying to make you look good in front of David.

David could only beam. "That's great! I knew _____ would be a great co-counselor!" He looped a friendly arm around your shoulders in pride.

"Well, I've got two awesome co-workers / teachers," you replied, trying to calm yourself. You took an eager bite out of your sandwich.

Luckily, David also had to finish his food, so he retracted his arm for the duration of lunch. Once everyone was finished and cleaned up, David led the kids outside to the forest, while you and Gwen helped clean the mess hall.

"So, what's the plan?" Gwen asked you suddenly.

"The plan for what?"

"To find out if David likes you too!"

Your cheeks were getting too familiar with this shade of pink. "Wh-! I don't-- B-- ... Wouldn't that be your job? If he likes me, I don't think he's gonna suddenly tell me out of thin air, y'know. A-And besides... why do you wanna help me anyway? I know you said it's cause we're both girls, but..."

Gwen shrugged and laughed a little. "I'll be honest - I'm a sucker for romantic shenanigans. But also! After everything David's been through this summer, I think he deserves a little happiness. And you seem like the perfect candidate to actually accept him as he is. That's my _woman's intuition_."

You snickered a little at her ending statement, but you were also flattered. "You've only known me for a few days.."

"I feel like I've known you for _weeks_!" Gwen laughed. "David would _not_ stop talking about you, and how you used to be besties, once you sent in your resume. We were down by the pier, and he was like, ' _Oh! _____ and I once saw an emperor butterfly pass by here!_ ', and don't get me started on the stories from the photos in the counselors' cabin."

"Wow..." You scratched at the nape of your neck. "Hehe, I hope that wasn't too annoying for you..."

She laughed again. "I honestly feared you might've been an exact duplicate of him from his stories. But meeting you, I can see you're like... a calmer version? I think you'd be really good for him - to reel him back in when he gets too far in over his head."

It surprised you, how little you'd thought of Camp Campbell during your years in college. In a funny way, you had to be thankful for Mr. Campbell's crime confession, because that news article was what brought you here. It brought back all your favourite, childhood memories - and of course, most of those memories involved David. You briefly wondered if you would've realized your crush on your own...

"Hey, don't worry about it too much," Gwen snapped you back to the present. "Maybe I'll try and fish it out of him when I have the chance, but I _promise_ I won't step on any toes, okay?"

You giggled softly, brushing your hair behind your ears. "Okay... If nothing else, it's nice to know I can just talk to you about it..."

Gwen gave you a thumbs up and turned to take a stack of trays into the back kitchen, when Nurf suddenly threw open the mess hall doors, followed by Harrison, who was supporting Preston on his shoulder.

"We need help!"

"Goodness, what's wrong, you three?"

"Preston got bit by something!" Harrison explained, handing Preston over to Gwen.

"Tell me the truth.. Will I be able to go on stage again??" Preston threw his good hand over his forehead dramatically, making Gwen sigh.

She looked at his arm, and you peered over her shoulder. The bite was definitely swollen. "Preston, do you feel dizzy?"

"No, but my arm is in terrible pain! It feels tingly, and kind of.. itchy!"

Gwen sighed yet again. "I think you're having an allergic reaction, Preston. Let's go put some Benadryl gel on that, it should get better."

"Oh, thank heavens! My art.... _lives on!!_ "

You couldn't help a small giggle at his theatrical mannerisms. You turned to Harrison and Nurf. "That was very kind of you two, bringing Preston here and making sure he was okay."

"Well, of course. It was the right thing to do. We couldn't simply leave him in the forest." Harrison fiddled with his top hat as he spoke.

"Yeah. Plus, I wanted to tell you and Gwen that David's been acting weird. Well, weirder than normal, I guess."

You crouched down beside them. "What do you mean 'weird'? You and I both know that David's always a walking ball of sunshine."

"That's my point!" Nurf exclaimed. "I know he said we're not supposed to go to the areas he marked, but he was, like, really aggressive about it. I've never seen him yell at _Nerris_ before, and she only tripped!"

Harrison hesitantly spoke up. "Yeahhhh, and even when she apologized, he didn't seem too impressed. But I thought, you know, maybe he's just having a bad day?"

"Oh, please, Harrison. When has David ever taken his emotions out on us? We're, like, his pride and joy. My own insecurities really make me appreciate David's fatherly nature every now and again."

You blinked a little at their exchange, and eventually, a small frown formed on your face. "Well, Nurf has a point. I've never known David to take his anger out on others - especially not you campers..." He'd seemed fine when you saw him in the morning... You wondered what could've possibly happened since lunch.

Gwen returned with a bandaged Preston. "Thanks, Gwen! My arm doesn't hurt nearly as much anymore. The gel has a lovely cooling sensation!"

"You're welcome, Preston," Gwen smiled a little. "Why don't we walk you guys back to the activities field?"

You did as Gwen suggested and arrived at the edge of the forest just in time to hear David shouting. Your jaw dropped a little as you drew closer and realized he was yelling at Nikki.

"We've told you so. many. times, Nikki! You can't just pick up whatever creature you find in the forest! You don't know what could hurt you, or other campers!"

"I said I was _sorry_ , David!" Nikki rebutted. "I didn't think it would hurt Preston, I've had those beetles crawl all over me before!"

You and Gwen interrupted before David could get another word in. He looked positively livid - you couldn't recall ever seeing a frown that big on his face.

"David, I'm sure Nikki's learned her lesson. Everyone makes mistakes!" You placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, which he almost immediately shrugged off. You flinched back and he seemed to regain himself a little, his expression growing calmer. "W-Why don't you and I go back to the counselor's cabin for some tea?"

"Yeah... That sounds like a good plan," David sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Gwen, do you mind taking the kids back? It's a little early for dinner, but there should be some games in the Quartermaster store."

Gwen nodded and called for the campers to follow her back to the mess hall. Everyone shared uneasy glances at each other, and at David. Max, in particular, looked especially miffed.

"Let's go, David... We'll brew your favourite! Orange pekoe."

He led the way back to the cabin, and the walk was awkward and quiet. He even scowled at the platypus as she waddled by.

Once you were inside, you set some water to boil and prepped a couple cups before sitting down next to David on the old sofa. "What's wrong?"

David gave a heavy sigh and held his head in his hands. "I just... Everyone has their limits, you know? I love the campers, but even I'm not immune to exhaustion. I guess I just snapped today... I'm sorry you had to see me like that, _____."

"Hey... Don't worry about it," you offered him a gentle smile. "You're right; everyone has limits, and we don't expect you to be perfect, David. You can get angry, or frustrated. It's better than bottling it up and exploding later."

He nodded as the tea kettle whistled. You got up and turned off the heat, pouring the hot water into your cups. You brought both cups back to the sofa, carefully handing David his.

"Thanks for being here, _____. I don't know what I'd do without you."

You blushed for the umpteenth time today. "Silly, you've been doing just fine without me! The camp hasn't burned down, you know."

He shook his head. "I let Mr. Campbell lie to me for so many years. The camp could've been much better for the kids if only I'd figured it all out sooner..."

"Campbell's good at what he does," you sighed, placing your cup down on the end table, "but that doesn't mean you're not great at what you do. Like I said, everyone makes mistakes. We all learn and grow."

David smiled and sipped his tea before also putting it down. He turned to you and hugged you tightly, his face buried in the crook of your neck. "Thank you. Really, _____, thank you."

You returned the hug and your smile grew. "Of course. I'm here for you, anytime you need to talk. Or just to listen, or keep you company. We're best friends, after all!"

"Are we just friends?"

His voice was so soft, you almost weren't sure you'd heard him correctly. "Pardon..?"

David's hand slipped to your lower back, his thumb rubbing gentle circles over your shirt. "Childhood friends, sure... but reuniting after all this time... are we still _just_ friends?"

This conversation couldn't be going where you thought it was going. He hadn't heard you and Gwen talking this morning, had he? "Wh.. What do you mean, David?"

"You're a wonderful young lady, _____. And I've certainly missed you since the good old days... Is it so surprising that I have feelings for you?"

You felt your heart flutter at his words. You held him a little tighter, not quite believing this was happening. "... I like you too, David."

He pulled back and looked at you, his serious expression unfamiliar to you. Your cheeks instantly flushed and you could feel your ears burning. "I-I..."

David laughed softly and cupped your cheek. "Sorry to spring that on you. Guess my emotions are just all over the place..."

You nuzzled his palm, giggling a little. "No, it's okay... I wanted to tell you... I wanted to know if you felt the same..."

You heard him sigh and looked up at him. His warm smile had returned and you couldn't help smiling back. But when his eyes softened and he leaned in, you stopped him, your hand pushing gently on his chest.

"Is it cheesy of me to say I think it's too soon? ... Maybe not in the counselor's cabin, where Gwen could come barging in at any moment, haha..."

The mood in the cabin shifted coldly and your heart plunged as David pushed you down on the sofa. He hovered over you, his expression icy. "I'm not sure I want to wait any longer..."

"D-David..?" You retracted your hands from him, suddenly anxious. "This... S-Seriously, G-Gwen could be back soon--"

"I don't care." He replied bluntly. His tone shifted ever so slightly, his voice suddenly deeper. "You can't tell me you don't want this."

Your lower lip quivered and you could feel goosebumps on your arms and legs. "This isn't like you. You're not like this, w-why are you--"

"How do you know what I'm like??" He snapped, and his voice definitely changed, his tone almost mocking you. "We haven't spoken in _years_ , people _change_ , _____! Are you even sure your feelings are real?"

Tears stung the corners of your eyes and you opened your mouth to refute him, but he moved quickly. His hands pinned yours down on the sofa. He had been careful with you moments before, but now he was more forceful - you couldn't break free.

"Nobody's perfect. Not you, not me. Certainly none of those kids," he spat his words. "So what's wrong with the two of us escaping for the night?"

He moved to your neck, kissing you roughly. You were about to shout when someone beat you to it.

" _What the **hell**??_" It was Gwen. She could probably see your tears, as she was visibly pissed.

Her entrance seemed to distract him, and his grip on your wrists loosened. You wrested a hand free and grasped at your tea cup, successfully grabbing and flinging it at your assailant.

He yelled and shielded his face, the tea undoubtedly scalding his forearms. You took the chance and ran to Gwen, tears flowing freely down your face as she held you.

"I don't know what the hell is going on," Gwen spoke through gritted teeth, "but you need to leave. Now."

"Gwen, wait.." you sobbed, pulling at her sleeves.

She looked down at you surprised. You pointed at the man in the room.

"I don't think that's David."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY - but the good news is I've figured out how many chapters there will be! The ending will come, and it will be happy! ♥ (And for those of you who've read my Slender fanfic... Yes, I'm aware I'm a sucker for this trope, apparently :'D)


	5. Lost and Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Run, run, run, as fast as you can

"The hell do you mean that's not David?" Gwen glared at the imposter in the room. "I mean, that _would_ explain his odd behaviour in the field earlier..."

'David' stood up from the sofa and raised his hands defensively. "What are you talking about? Of course, I'm David - who else would I be?"

For a moment, he took on a hurt expression and your heart stung. But you knew better. "The David I know - that I've known for years - would never force himself on someone, no matter how stressed he'd been..."

Gwen nodded at your side. "I've only known David for a year, here at camp, but I think the same. He's... just _too good_ for something like that."

That hurt expression very quickly became a hateful sneer. When he spoke once more, his voice was deeper. "Yes, yes - we all know David's just _fucking_ perfect, isn't he??"

"It's _you_ , isn't it? 'Daniel', was it?" Gwen spoke up, surprising you. "Aren't you getting tired of pretending to be David?"

You looked up at her, shocked by her words. "H-He's done this before..?"

"Ohh yeah. He tied David up once and went around camp pretending to counsel everyone, but he was really just trying to kill Max." Gwen held you a little tighter, helping steady you on your feet. "Idiot filmed everything for David to see, so it was quite a convenient evidence tape."

"But... why?"

"Because David and Max already ruined my plans once!" Daniel shouted, stomping his foot. "All I wanted was to help your campers ascend to their next level - is that really so bad?"

"You were gonna KILL everyone!" Gwen retorted and you felt goosebumps roll down your arms.

"Semantics," Daniel huffed. "They won't need their physical forms if they reach ascension!"

You were struggling to process everything. This... psychopath had tried to kill the campers, failed, and came back to try to kill Max... He was disguised as David, so he could wander about, but...--

"Where's David?" You asked, your tone grave and firm. 

Daniel smirked, his face now a malevolent, twisted version of the man you loved. "Where is he, indeed, I wonder? I'll tell you this much; I never expected his _childhood friend_ to not notice. I mean, it's been almost 24 hours!"

You felt your heart sink. Your whole interaction this morning... everything had been false? ... Could you have prevented this if you'd stayed to help clean up the party? _Your_ welcome party?"

"I shouldn't have left the mess hall before David.." Gwen paled beside you. She lowered her voice to a mumbled whisper. "We have to find him... but how do we deal with this clown?"

You looked over at Gwen. The two of you both had an average build, but you weren't certain you could overpower Daniel. You thought back to this morning and remembered the attic. "... Does he know Mr. Campbell is here..?"

"You think Campbell can help??"

"He's bigger and more muscly than you and I combined - I think he's our best shot?"

"Heyyyy, now..." Daniel taunted, causing your eyes to snap back up. He brandished a crooked knife from his back pocket. "Anything you two want to share with the class?"

Gwen pulled your arm and booked it from the cabin. "Fine, fuck it, let's go!"

The two of you ran as fast as you could, and all the while, Daniel's cackling laughter echoed in the trees behind you.

"There's nowhere you can run that I won't find you! But don't worry! Once I've dealt with you two, I'll make _sure_ your precious campers follow riiiight behind you!"

You choked back a sob. Every hair on your body felt like it was standing on end, and if it weren't for Gwen pulling you along, you were sure your knees would give out. How had this happened? Everything had seemed so normal this morning. Now your lives were in danger - along with the lives of the children.

You were so panicked, you almost tripped as you entered the mess hall. Gwen immediately pulled down the attic ladder and urged you up. "I'll keep him busy - I'll throw spoons at him if I have to. Get Campbell down here as soon as you can!"

Hesitant as you were, you knew every second counted. So you simply nodded and tried to steady your breathing as you entered the attic and pulled the ladder up behind you.

Unsurprisingly, Campbell was just sitting on a lounge chair, watching TV. You scurried over quietly, hoping that Daniel wouldn't pick up on where you'd gone. When you reached Campbell, you tapped his shoulder, "Mr. Campbell, sir?"

He nearly jumped out of his skin. "Gah!! _____!! What in the world are you doing up here at this hour? You know this is my time to--"

You hurriedly shushed him. "Please keep your voice down! We have a situation downstairs and we need your help, please!"

He waved you away. "Pfft. Whatever it is, I'm sure you, Grenda, and _David_ can handle it just fine. David's in charge of the camp, after all, so he's got to--"

"David's been kidnapped!" You hissed.

Campbell looked at you, and turned down the TV to boot. "What do you mean he's been kidnapped? How do you know he's not... playing hide-and-seek, or something?"

"There's... s-some guy who looks just like David - he's wearing his clothes, and he can speak like him.. B-But he's not David! Gwen said he tried to kill the campers, and he's impersonated David before. I thought David was just having a bad day, so we sat down to talk, and he..."

Your voice trailed off and became very small. You were gripping your arms, your small frame shaking. "He..."

Campbell looked at you. Your hair was a mess, your shirt collar askew... It didn't take him long to piece it together. "I see."

He stood suddenly, carefully stepping to collect his clothes and strap everything on. Pants, shirt, vest, boots. Then he turned back to you, his face grim. "Let me at him."

A small smile crept up on your lips, and then you turned back to the hatch. You peeked out just as Daniel entered the mess hall.

"Aww, Gwen! So nice of you to surrender!"

"I'm not surrendering, you asshole. You're gonna be sorry for what you've done."

Daniel laughed. "Oh, I seriously doubt that. Who's going to stop me? You? All you do is sit around all day reading magazines and watching TV. And _____ is so naive and weak, she'll probably get lost in the woods trying to find David! I've won this time - there's nothing left to stop me!"

Campbell pushed past you, letting down the ladder and sliding down with flair. "Nothing... except me! If you think I'm gonna let you murder my campers, or my counselors, you've got another thing coming!"

Daniel stepped back, but laughed in spite of himself. "Ah, the great Cameron Campbell! You won't _let_ me, you say? Ahaha... How do you know I haven't already killed someone?"

You could've sworn your heart stopped. He was bluffing, he had to be. There was no way David was gone... Daniel seemed the type to try and get under your skin, of course he was lying. Of course, of course...

Gwen shouted for you to climb down, snapping you back to reality, and the two of you made your way to the back door.

"Run, girls! I'll deal with this loser!" Campbell exclaimed, showcasing his biceps.

You could only watch as the door closed behind you, leaving him with Daniel. You turned to Gwen, "I hope he'll be okay... I'm not.. 100% sure he's grasping how serious this is."

"Honestly, I'm sure he's been in worse situations. We'll have to trust him, because we need to find David..."

Once again, your heart sank. You tried not to think of what Daniel had said - you had to think positive, like David would.

You and Gwen searched everywhere you could think of, between the Quartermaster store, and even down to the old bomb shelter. No David.

"We just gotta keep looking," Gwen sighed, wiping her brow. "Maybe we should split up... I'll wake Quartermaster and... check out Spooky Island. Maybe he hid David in Campbell's old mansion."

"Okay... If you don't find him, can you search the west half of the woods? I'll start at the east while you're gone."

Gwen nodded and the two of you ran in opposite directions.

You ran back to the counselor's cabin for a flashlight and began scouring the woods. Try as you might, no matter how loudly you shouted, your voice was feeble and shaky. Before you knew it, tears were streaking down your cheeks. You knew as well as anyone that these woods were massive, and looking in the dark, even with your light, would be difficult, to say the least.

Your thoughts distracted you as you tripped over some thick roots, landing hard on your forearms. The flashlight fell to the ground, rolling ahead of you. As you scrambled to your feet to retrieve it, the beam of light caught something... Maybe you were just being hopeful, but it looked like someone had been dragged along the ground. You swallowed hard and followed the tracks with caution.

Eventually, you came to a cave and you were sure the colour had drained from your face. You mustered what little courage you had to spare and stepped inside. You could hear water droplets dripping from stalactites somewhere farther into the cave, their echo unsettling your nerves. You called out, mostly to comfort yourself. "D-David? Are you here...?"

There was no answer. You continued into the cave and repeated, "David, a-are you in here?"

Your eyes darted back and forth in the dark of the cave, your own heartbeat filling your ears. Then, suddenly, you could make out the faintest voice. Someone calling your name. You spun around to the source of the voice, stepping carefully in the dark.

"Is that you, David?"

"... -- ___" It was a little louder now. You stepped closer and closer, down more twists and turns into the cave. As you continued calling out, the replies grew louder and louder. Soon, you had very little regard for your footing, opting to shine your flashlight a few steps ahead as you'd begun racing through the cave.

When his voice was near enough to be just around the corner, you felt your face pull into a slight smile and turned down one last corner. You'd reached a dead end in the cave. "D-David..?"

"_____," He called you. You turned your light to your left and your hopeful smile shattered instantly.

You could see his face had been beaten. One black eye and several bruises on his forehead, cheeks, and neck. You began moving your flashlight down when David called out to you again. His voice was broken and dry, "You... p-probably shouldn't..."

He was struggling to breathe, and of course you were scared to look, but... you had to know. The light traveled away from his face and, in your shock, you dropped the flashlight entirely.

You'd seen him for just a moment, but it was more than you could bear. David's hands were tied together, and he lay slumped with his neck uncomfortably angled against the rock. The worst of it was... Daniel had sliced him up; there were open gashes all across David's torso. And you wanted so badly to be wrong, but you were almost certain at least one leg had been broken. It took everything you had not to let your legs cave beneath you.

You quickly reclaimed your flashlight and knelt by David's side. You thought about sitting up him, but that could have bad repercussions on his neck and lungs - there were possible injuries you couldn't see. Still, leaving him like that was absolutely out of the question. So you opted to carefully lift his head away from the wall, seating yourself between him and the rock. You laid him down on your lap and carefully untied his hands.

You heard him wince once, but his breathing seemed a little more even once he'd settled in. "I hope that's better... I'm going to call for help, okay?"

He didn't answer, but you felt him nod gently against your thighs. You pulled out your phone and thanked every star in the night sky. A single bar of service lit your screen. You immediately dialed 911 and explained the situation, as well as how to find you. You hoped your directions were reasonable, but you knew they'd come with proper equipment.

Once the call ended, you texted Gwen, " _Found David. In bad shape. Help is on the way._ "

In a moment, you received a reply. " _Thank goodness. Campbell managed to knock out Daniel. Tied him up and got Quartermaster watching him._ "

You sighed a deep sigh of relief, and David nuzzled you in response. You set the flashlight beside you so the two of you could see each other's faces. His right eye was barely open and you see even more cuts and scrapes the closer you looked.

Gently, you began stroking David's hair, letting your other hand rest over his heart - partially in paranoia. "An ambulance is on its way to help you. And Campbell's got Daniel all tied up and unconscious. You're gonna be okay, David."

Despite everything, David offered you a smile, and you finally broke down.

It wasn't really appropriate for you, in full health, to break down in loud sobs while David, so terribly injured, laid before you. But his smile never wavered.

"I'm so sorry, David... I should've noticed sooner that Daniel wasn't you, I should've found you sooner... I should've stayed to clean up last night, so we could've walked together..."

You felt a gentle hand on yours and you stopped rambling. You looked at David, who shook his head ever so slightly. "Could've... gotten hurt..."

Your jaw dropped open a little. Even like this, David was worried for you. Your tears flowed freely again, dripping down your chin. "You idiot... You should worry about yourself right now..."

David smiled apologetically, then closed his eyes. Beneath your hands, you could feel the shaky rise and fall of his chest. Through your tears, you let yourself smile a little. He was alive, and that's what mattered.

When the paramedics finally arrived, you went with them out of the cave and into the ambulance. You watched through the windows as an unconscious Daniel was taken away into a police cruiser and you silently cursed him for the hell he'd put you through.

The ride to the hospital was brisk, as expected, and you ran alongside the stretcher as they wheeled David into an emergency care room. Despite your protests, a nurse stopped you from following any farther. A doctor eventually approached you and insisted you also undergo an examination to make sure you weren't injured. Reluctantly, you agreed, leaving the emergency area with a heavy heart.

\---

Your examination had revealed a minor twisted ankle and an abrasion on your neck, but you were otherwise fine. A very sweet nurse had given you some hot cocoa to calm your nerves. You were sitting in the waiting area, slowly sipping your drink, when a doctor finally said you could see David again.

The ankle brace they'd given you could only slow you down so much as you speed walked through the halls to David's room. When you arrived, you thought you might cry again.

He looked so peaceful; sleeping on a fluffy, white pillow and tucked in from the waist down. The doctor explained that David did, indeed, have a broken leg, which they'd have a cast for in about 5 days. For now, they'd applied a split to keep him from moving in his sleep. Daniel had, apparently, also kicked in a couple of David's ribs, which would explain his difficulty breathing. The doctor told you that they would monitor David over the next 24 hours to see if he'd need surgery.

When the doctor caught you simply nodding, struggling to take it all in, they placed a gentle hand on your shoulder. They told you, all in all, David should make a full recovery, that you did a wonderful job finding him in time, and that you should be very proud for saving his life. Then they left you two alone, pulling the curtain partition shut around you.

You sat in the chair by David's side and watched him sleep. The swelling of his eye had gone down, and they'd cleaned up the other cuts on his face. You supposed you should take the doctor's advice and just be thankful David was alive and recovering...

You reached out shyly and brushed your knuckles against his cheek. David almost instantly nuzzled you, making you recoil in surprise. His eyes opened slowly and he smiled when he saw you. "Hey..."

"Hey, yourself..." you chuckled softly, bringing a finger to your lips. "Don't talk too much, okay? You're at the hospital, probably more than a little drugged. The doctor said you'll make a full recovery..!"

David smiled again, reaching up to take your hand in his. "Thank.. you..."

You wondered how you had any tears left after your episode in the cave. But maybe these were happy tears. "You would've done the same for me, and I bet you would've found me in half the time, heh... Go back to sleep, okay? You need proper rest..."

"... Stay?"

He gently squeezed your hand and you felt your cheeks flush. "... Yeah, I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!! I hope my visuals came across all right x_x I worry that the conflict resolves too quickly, but they do resolve quite a bit in the span of a 26min episode, ahaha


	6. 1000 Light Years

You'd been woken up when the doctors came to check on David again. While waiting for the checkup to finish, Gwen surprised you both with a bouquet of flowers.

"Hey, you two. Glad to see you're both in one piece."

You waved to her. "Good morning, Gwen. We wouldn't be here if you and Campbell hadn't detained Daniel. Thanks."

"Campbell honestly did most of the work. Good call on getting him to help out."

The two of you exchanged smiles, and then the doctor approached you.

"We'll need to keep David overnight for a minor surgery. We need to make sure that broken rib doesn't puncture anything. Why don't you take _____ back to camp? We'll be sure to call you if anything happens, and of course, we'll call you when he's ready to head back."

Of course, you didn't want to leave. But you knew you couldn't stay at Sleepy Peak general for days on end if you weren't an admitted patient. So Gwen signed your release forms and drove you back to camp.

"... Hey, Gwen?"

"Hmm?"

"I also wanted to thank you... for showing up in the counselor's cabin when you did..."

Her expression took on a grim tone. "Yeah... I've been telling myself that.. it was fate, or whatever. I can't imagine what I would've done if I'd walked in any later..."

"You saved us both, Gwen. You've got more going for you than you think - I hope you see that as much as David does."

You thought you saw her tear up a bit, but she was quick to laugh it off. "I'll keep that in mind, _____. Thanks!"

When you arrived back at camp, Quartermaster and all the kids were there to greet you.

"Where were you two? It's not like you to be away from the camp so early in the morning," Neil commented.

Gwen and you shared a look. Should you tell the kids? You didn't really wanna lie to them, but maybe telling them everything would be a bad move...

"Where's David?"

A single voice asked and you were surprised to see Max standing before his fellow campers.

"I find David more annoying than anyone else here. But I know that yesterday was messed up - _David_ was messed up. So tell us the truth."

You sighed softly and looked to Gwen once more, and she nodded. So you took a deep breath and told the children what had happened the previous night - leaving out a few... more intimate details.

As expected, your tale was initially met with stunned silence. In the grim moment, Cameron Campbell stepped forward.

"I know some of you are probably scared hearing everything _____ just told you. But I want to reassure you all; We are NOT going to allow something like this to happen again." Campbell stood by the flagpole, his chest puffed. "We've sent Daniel far away. In fact, we've sent him to my old cell at Super Guantanamo! So he'll never come back to harm anyone at Camp Campbell ever again!"

"But you came back from Super Guantanamo," Nikki stated flatly.

"I came back with the permission of the government agents assigned to interrogate me!" Campbell replied, a little too proudly. "As such, I've made sure to let Mr. and Mr. Miller know _exactly_ what kind of villain Daniel is - they won't be letting him out of their sight!"

Ered made little finger guns to Campbell - her little sign of approval.

"Camp Campbell is a place for you kids to safely spend your summer doing whatever the heck you want! And I, Cameron Campbell, will make sure it stays that way!"

You saw a few smiles exchanged between the children and your heart lightened a bit. You knew Campbell was mostly parading for the sake of his mandatory community service, but you were thankful nonetheless.

"Thank you, Mr. Campbell," you smiled up at him. "We wouldn't have stopped Daniel without you. I wouldn't have been able to find David... so thank you. Thank you so much."

Campbell blushed a bit and scratched at the nape of his neck. "Y-Yes, you're welcome, _____! That's what I do, save people!"

He laughed awkwardly, unaccustomed to genuine praise for something he'd done honestly.

"Will David be okay?" Nerris asked you, tugging gently at your shirt.

You looked down and gave her your best smile. "Yup. He's got the best doctors at Sleepy Peak general looking after him. And they'll call us the moment he's ready to come home."

Nerris returned a smile and hugged your waist before turning and joining the rest of the kids. When you looked into their crowd, you could see Max glaring at you. When your eyes met, he quickly looked away and disappeared with Neil and Nikki. Before you could go after them, Gwen pulled you back.

"Quartermaster's gonna get the kids some breakfast. You mind comin' back with me to the cabin?"

Her tone was more serious than usual, so you followed, as quickly as you could. Once you were alone, she sat down with a heavy sigh. You sat in the solo armchair across from her.

Gwen inhaled deeply, then proceeded. "So... Campbell's accounts are still frozen because he's still serving his time. And as unfortunate as our situation is, Sleepy Peak general isn't going to just waive your medical bill... Not to mention David's bill, which is gonna be a LOT."

Your eyes widened a bit. You hadn't even considered the medical expenses of what David was going through right now.

"But! Don't panic!" Gwen exclaimed. "Believe it or not, something similar has actually happened at camp before. We'll just host a fundraiser!"

"Oh! That sounds like a great idea! What did you do for the previous fundraiser?"

Gwen froze in place for a moment, then looked down at her lap. "We... uh... We had Q-Quartermaster beat up... me n' David..."

" _What??_ "

"Look, it's a long story. The important thing is we clearly can't do that again... So what do we do?"

You were reluctant to let the topic drop, but she was right; you had to think of something. The two of you thought for moments more before you spied David's guitar sitting against the wall. Absentmindedly, you mumbled, "What about a talent show?"

"That's a great idea!!" Gwen cheered. "We'll have each camper prepare something based on their skills! ... Well, maybe not every camper - I'm not sure what Nurf would do..."

You chuckled a little. "I know Preston and Harrison will be thrilled, and Neil and Ered can probably come up with some ideas, with the others assisting... But would that be enough?"

Gwen thought a little more, then snapped her fingers. "Oh! I'll ask the other camps if they'd like to help!"

"Other camps... You mean the Flower Scouts?"

She nodded. "Yeah! And... m-maybe the Woodscouts - I know Pikeman won't say no... though I'm not sure what they'd do on stage... But still! Worth a shot!"

You agreed. Gwen ran off to ask the other camps while you prepared a basic presentation to give to the kids. As you exited the cabin, Max was waiting for you outside.

"H-Hey, Max. Is something the matter?"

He glared up at you for a moment before speaking. "David's... really okay, right? We're not little kids that you'd lie to to protect or something, right?"

You were surprised. "... Yeah, Max, the doctors told us he'll recover just fine! He's currently having a minor surgery, but he'll pull through. ... I didn't expect you to be so worried."

He was immediately taken aback and flustered. "I'm not worried, I-I just.. I mean... David's my favourite person to mess with at camp! What's the point of scheming if he's not around?"

You knelt in front of him and ruffled his hair. " _'David's your favourite person'_... Gotcha." You gave him a little wink as you stood back up.

"G-- You--!" Max was so red, he looked like he might pop. "... When are you gonna tell him?"

You tilted your head to one side, puzzled. "Aw, come on, Max. I wouldn't actually--"

"When are you gonna tell David he's _your_ favourite person?"

And so the tables turned, with your cheeks burning up a bright pink. "W-What? Where did you--.. H-How did..?"

Max simply shrugged. "It's kinda obvious - you're staring at him during every activity you run together. I can't believe David hasn't noticed already."

You held your face in your hands. You realized Max had probably caught on a while ago, given his comment at the dance. ... Which meant a 10-year-old had realized how you felt even before you did.

"So... I won't tell if you won't?"

Max held out his hand. "Sounds like a good deal."

You began walking back to camp together and you couldn't help laughing softly to yourself. You ruffled Max' hair again and he looked up at you, annoyed. "What's got you all cheery all of a sudden?"

"Oh... I was just thinking... we should probably just tell him ourselves."

\---

All in all, your idea was well received! You were upfront with everyone regarding what the funds were for, and everyone was more than happy to pitch in. As expected, Preston had about a dozen acts on the ready, and he eagerly recruited Dolph for set-making, and Nerris as his lead actress. Harrison was preparing a magic show, with Nikki as his assistant. Neil had Max helping him with a science demonstration, and Ered was working with Space Kid on some kind of... skateboard rocket? You'd have to keep tabs on that one.

The Woodscouts and Flower Scouts had both agreed to help out on the condition that they could also sell popcorn and cookies to the audience, which Campbell reluctantly agreed you. You were thankful, as you weren't willing to think about what Campbell and Quartermaster would've rather served the crowd.

The appeal of all three Lake Lilac camps putting on a show together seemed to be your biggest draw. It wasn't often that folks got to see everyone working together, and curiosity is a powerful thing. In the few days you'd taken to prepare, every seat had been sold. You'd only $5 as the townsfolk didn't seem to keen on paying more than that, so you'd left them the option of tipping each performance if they truly liked it - and you hoped that would be good enough.

The opening act was the Flower Scouts ballet, which went swimmingly. The girls were wonderfully trained for grace and poise, so of course their dance was practically perfection. You caught one of them constantly making kissy expressions at Neil, who had taken to hiding behind Max, and you couldn't help giggle a little. The applause from the audience was more gracious than you'd expected, and you saw several people getting up to donate a little more toward the cause. There were even three VERY generous donors, seemingly Hispanic? You wondered if they were simply good Samaritans passing through.

Harrison's magic performance was, of course, mesmerizing. You really could imagine him performing in Las Vegas someday, if he perfected all of his tricks. He'd successfully sawed Nikki in half - which was only mildly jarring, since you couldn't think of which camper he'd squeezed into the second half of the trick box. Then they'd proceeded with an escape act, which Harrison narrowly completed. He bowed and theatrically let a goldfish out of his soaked top hat. The majority of the audience came up to donate something - everyone loved magic tricks!

Preston's play was, honestly, quite good! You could see why he'd cast Nerris, as the play was largely themed around "The Lord of the Rings", and of course, her characterization was perfect! Dolf's sets were lovingly painted, right down to the flaming balls of "lava" that Nurf was chucking onto the stage. A few more donations came in, and you felt your spirits growing.

Neil's science demonstration was mesmerizing, and you were glad you'd held the show in the evening. The stage lights were dimmed, save for a desklamp for Neil's use. He thoroughly explained the science behind fireworks as he carefully burned different metals to produce different colours of sparks. He earned more donations from kids in the audience, as well as one bespectacled shopkeep.

Lastly, you had Ered and Space Kid, who were, surprisingly, working with the Woodscouts. They'd set up an obstacle course through "space", which consisted of the eldest woodscout masquerading as an alien, flailing his costumed limbs below a set of monkey-bars, and Space Kid awaiting his teammates in a getaway rocket. Ered and the remaining two woodscouts traversed the course, communicating with Space Kid - their captain - throughout the journey. Once they'd safely made it to the rocket, the bottom punched out and they ran offstage, Flinstones-style. Only a couple donations came in, including a loving donation from Ered's parents.

Campbell took the stage with a very embellished tale of his adventurous trip to Greenland while you and Neil counted the donations and sales backstage.

"We're still short, aren't we?"

You frowned. "Yeah... Not by a lot, but..." Your heart sank. Everyone had come together and worked so hard to help David. You hated that you were so close, and yet...

"Why don't you sing?"

You and Neil both looked over your shoulders to see Max, holding David's guitar.

"Me?"

"No, Neil. Of course, you!" He shoved the guitar at you. "You're good with camp songs, go sing something."

"I... I've never sung in front of a huge audience, Max! A-And I wouldn't even know what to sing--"

"You can do it!" Nerris cheered from behind you. "You sang for all of us in the Cave of Spells, and you scared away the darkness! As my personally appointed Bard, I know you'll do great!"

"I concur! Your voice is like a chorus of angels! You'll surely wow the audience!"

"Yeah! If anyone can go out zere und brave ze crowd, it's you!"

You looked down at David's guitar and held it close. As you wracked your thoughts you eventually settled on something - one song that you could sing. You took a deep breath and stood, pulling the strap over your shoulder. "Okay. I'll go out and sing... for David's sake."

"Aww!"

"Yeah, yeah, you can 'aww' and tease me later!" You laughed, ruffling Nikki's hair. You asked her to let Campbell know to announce you, then asked Preston to prep a mic stand.

Once you heard Campbell introduce you, the curtains pulled back and you stepped forward. In all honesty, you were glad that the obstacle course had preceded you, and not Harrison or the Flowerscouts. You cleared your throat and adjusted the mic to your height. Another deep breath... and you began strumming a gentle melody.

_"Oh, please don't say that you'll go... My heart can't bear the news,  
just knowin' that you'll be a 1000 light years away, if you do..."_

You were more nervous than you'd ever been in your whole life, but you kept David in your mind and he grounded you. And little did you know, there was an extra seat in the audience waiting to be filled...

\---

"You ready to get out of here?" Gwen asked him, pushing his wheelchair into the front lobby.

"Boy, am I ever. I'm grateful for everyone at Sleepy Peak general, but I really miss camp. And of course, I miss _____, you, and all the campers!"

Gwen laughed. "Of course you do. You'll get to say hey to everyone after tonight's show."

"Ooh, I hope everything's going all right... I know you had to come get me, but I'm worried about leaving her with all the kids..."

Gwen carefully helped David into the campmobile. "Those kids were worried sick when we came back without you. I'm sure they'll behave - just this once."

David laughed softly. The drive back was nice and quiet, and before long, the familiar, worn-out sign came into view. "I wonder if we'll catch the end of the show."

"They should be wrapping up, but let's get down there and see. If nothing else, _____ will be ecstatic to see you. I didn't tell her I was going to pick you up."

That put a big grin on his face - David loved surprises, after all. He hobbled back into the wheelchair and was practically shaking in his seat as Gwen wheeled him to the amphitheater.

"Glad to see you bounce back so well," Gwen teased, picking up the pace.

The two of them arrived just in time to hear Campbell announce the next performer - you.

"Well this is a surprise indeed! I didn't know she was performing," Gwen whispered, setting David's chair in a comfortable spot to watch the stage.

He'd stopped buzzing with excitement and was now captivated by your presence under the spotlight. His heart soared a little seeing you with his guitar, and he realized he'd never heard you play before.

Your melody began and he listened intently. As you sang, and the words carried through the air, his cheeks flushed a little and he was gripping the armrests tightly.

_"And I should've said it before you were gone... 'cause I'm kicking myself for waiting oh so long...  
And I should've held you near, every time I feared.. that somehow you just wouldn't feel the same..."_

"... Hey, Gwen?"

Gwen seemed to snap out of a little trance, enthralled by your song. "Yeah, David?"

"... I think I like her. Like... _really_ like her..."

Her surprise only lasted seconds before Gwen fist-bumped the sky behind David's back. She quietly cleared her throat, "Yeah, I kind of figured."

"D... Do you think she'd like me back?"

_"Well, I'm just sittin' here, gazing up at the stars...  
Let's say we pick one out and call the whole thing ours?_

_And even though that light we see ain't the same for you and me,_  
_well you'll know when I'll know... that you and I can't even be 1000 light years away, and I'll still love you_  
_Oh yes, I do... I love you~_ "

"Yeah, she might." Gwen smirked, watching David's eyes light up as your song ended. "Why don't we take you backstage and find out?"

That snapped him out of it. "Wh--?? Gwen! Right now?! B-But.. I-I'm sure the campers will be worried, and s-surprised to see me! I can always ask-- I mean, t-talk to her later, t-there's no need to rush things!"

"Too late, we're here."

Sure enough, they were wheeling up to the backstage door. Gwen opened it and pushed him through.

\---

The audience cheered and you were breathless. You never imagined how it would feel, hearing so many people applaud for you, and you could only bow gratefully. You turned and pushed through the second curtains, afraid to see if anyone donated for your performance.

"You did great!" Nikki cheered, hugging your legs.

"Yeah, that song was wicked cool."

"Magical, even!"

"That was a magnificent expression of your feelings! I shall surely have to cast you in a musical someday!"

You nervously accepted their praise, blushing all the while. Then, suddenly, the backdoor opened and you heard Gwen shout, "Hey, everyone! Look who I brought!"

Everyone turned around to see Gwen present a very flustered David in a wheelchair. "H-Hey, everybody..! Hope you didn't miss me too much..?"

There were probably at least a few of the campers who'd wanted to run and greet David. There were likely a couple that wanted to gloat about how amazing their performances had been. But you beat them to the punch. You'd practically dropped the guitar into Max and Nikki's hands and briskly stepped past the kids in front of you. In an instant, you were on your knees, your arms wrapped around David's shoulders, and soft tears rolling down your cheeks.

Gwen quietly herded the children onstage, telling them to take a big bow and thank the audience, giving the two of you some privacy.

"I'm sorry I worried you," David spoke softly and returned your embrace, his arms tenderly wrapped around your waist.

You shook your head. "No, I knew you'd be okay... You've always made it out of sticky situations. I just..." You straightened up so he could see your face and you smiled widely, tears still flowing. "I just missed you a whole lot."

David returned a smile, but you could feel his hands anxiously gripping the sides of your shirt. "I.. missed you too, _____... I heard your song, and it was beautiful! It.. made me realize..."

You blinked once. Then twice. Was he saying what you thought he was saying?

"I... I think... No." David took a deep breath, then looked you in the eye. "I know I have feelings for you. I probably have for a while now... I was overjoyed to hear from you, and more so to hear that you wanted to work at Camp Campbell. When I saw you on the bus, my heart was racing. I thought I was just excited - happy - to see you again. But... I'm not a little kid anymore, I know that you don't feel this way about a normal friend..."

He took another breath and gently pulled one of your hands from his shoulders, holding it lovingly in his. "I really like you, _____. I don't want to affect our working relationship, of course, and nor do I want to hurt our friendship... so I'd understand if you don't feel the same way..."

You were a little stunned. Of course, you were happy to hear everything David had to say, but... you couldn't help giggling. And what started as a giggle turned into a joyous laugh.

"Wh... Why are you laughing?"

"S-Sorry..! I'm not laughing to be mean, I promise!" You did your best to calm down and you softly cupped David's cheek in your other hand. "You're just so silly, you know? Who do you think I wrote that song for?"

David blinked once. Then twice. Then he, too, burst into laughter, which reignited your own.

The two of you laughing prompted the campers to poke their heads backstage once more. "Can we say hi now?"

You both waved them over, though you stayed put to keep the kids from getting too rough with him. They all welcomed him back with cheer, most of them exactly how you'd imagined they would. Once everyone had said their piece, Max inconspicuously stepped forward.

"... Welcome back, I guess."

"Thanks, Max," David beamed. "I'm glad to be back."

Everyone slowly cleared out, yawning and ready for bed. They'd all worked incredibly hard to get ready for the show in only a few days. You'd already arranged a special breakfast for tomorrow morning; scrambled eggs and bacon with real toast! You, David, and Gwen all said goodnight to each camper before heading to the counselors' cabins.

"It really is good to have you back, David," said Gwen. "Camp doesn't feel right without you. Even Campbell was kinda moping around all week - even if he won't admit it."

David chuckled. "I don't feel right without the camp, either! It'll be about another week before I'm out of this chair, but I can't wait to get back to normal!"

"Don't push yourself though," you gently chided him. "I'm not letting you out of my sight."

The two of you exchanged soft smiles and Gwen playfully rolled her eyes. "Don't get too mushy on me, you two. You'd better behave tonight."

Both of you gave Gwen a quizzical look. She smirked. "Well David can't get into bed on his own, and I figured he'd prefer your help over a reckless philanthropist or a hook-handed wild card. So... I laid out the extra mattress in David's cabin. Thus, you two had better behave tonight. Our cabins aren't that far apart, you know."

You blushed immediately at her implication. "Gwen, we just... y'know, finally confessed and everything. And he just got back from the hospital, we're not gonna--"

"I know, I know, I'm just teasing," she chuckled. "Take care of him, okay?"

You huffed a little before nodding and wheeling David in the opposite direction of your usual cabin.

"Gwen's quite the joker, isn't she?" David asked aloud.

You looked down at him and you couldn't help noticing the tips of his ears were red, and his hands were in fists on the armrests. You laughed softly. "Honestly? I hadn't even thought about all that... I'm just happy to have you back..."  
That seemed to calm him down and he relaxed back into the chair.

When you arrived at his cabin, you realized you'd never actually been in the boys' cabin - why would you have? David was almost always awake before you, so your "good morning"s were usually in the mess all. The room smelled of pine and... well, David, if you were being perfectly honest. He had papers and books neatly piled on his nightstand, and a pin-board of photos by his bed. There was a photo of the two of you with a jar of fireflies you'd caught one evening as children, and you smiled fondly.

"All right, let's get you ready for bed, hmm?" You smiled as you wheeled him to the bathroom.

David merrily brushed his teeth, and you did the same beside him. You left him outside the bathroom with a warm washcloth for his face while you changed into your pjs.

"Hmm... Uh, David?"

"Yes, _____?"

"Are you... able to change your own clothes?"

David's expression froze flatly. "I... uh... Actually, I can't. The doctor told me not to, anyway... B-But that's okay! I'll just sleep in my camp clothes! I do that all the time, haha."

You frowned a little. "Well, normally, that'd be fine... but you have a broken leg and just had surgery for a fractured rib... Tight fitting clothing while sleeping probably isn't the best idea..."

There was an awkward silence in the air, but eventually, you asked him, "Do you trust me..?"

And of course, he smiled up at you. "Of course I do."

You parked the wheelchair beside his bed and helped him up onto the mattress. More than a little anxiously, you helped David out of his shirt and pants and into his pjs - all the while, trying not to touch or stare where you didn't need to. He had also avoided eye-contact for most of the process, but overall, didn't seem too bothered. "There we go, all comfy and ready for sleep."

You tucked him in for good measure, to which he only smiled widely, before settling in on the extra cot across from him. You rolled onto your side to face him and he turned his head to do the same.

"Goodnight, _____," David whispered, "Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight, David... and welcome home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap, folks! ♥ Thank you for enjoying my super cheesy fic! I realize there may be a bit of inconsistency with how I've written the counselors cabin, but I realized that's probably a working area, and not where both the male and female counselors sleep - whoops! x'D  
> I'll still be writing little Reader/David drabbles every now and then, and of course, I'll be continuing "Better Than You"! I seriously can't thank you enough for encouraging me to continue writing - I hope I can write many more stories that you'll enjoy! ♥
> 
> The song the Reader is singing is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rX1af52x3H4 - I honestly started writing this fic the moment I heard this song ^u^


	7. EPILOGUE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just some fluff to wrap up the story - hope that's okay! ♥

"Is everyone packed up and ready to go?"

There was a chorus of cheers from the campers as they lined up to load onto the bus.

"Gwen, are you sure you're okay running a field-trip with just Campbell?"

"Yeah, we'll be fine! I'm sure even the great Cameron Campbell can't fuck up a trip to the farm. The kids are gonna get to pet some animals, see how vegetables are grown - it'll be fine."

David hopped up, steadying himself on his crutches. "Are you absolutely sure? I'm perfectly fine sitting back on my own, Gwen. I've even got Quartermaster here if I'm in real trouble."

"Actually, Quartermaster isn't around," you cut in. "He's been gone since midday yesterday. There's just a note in the store saying 'gone in the woods'..."

"Huh. Well, see?" Gwen shrugged. "That's even more reason that you've gotta stay. I'm certainly not leaving Campbell behind to take care of David."

You both nodded in agreement.

"That's settled then. We'll only be gone overnight, so try not to worry too much, okay?"

"Okay... Travel safely!"

She gave you a thumbs up as she followed the last camper onto the bus. You and David both waved as they drove off out of camp.

"So... I guess it's just the two of us for the day, huh?" David nudged your arm gently.

You nudged him back. "Yeah, heh... I guess this'll actually be the first time we've been alone since... well, the cave..."

"Hah, yeah..."

Cue awkward silence...

"... Well, you're our recovering patient. What do you wanna do with the day?"

David thought for a moment and then smiled warmly. "Honestly, I'll be happy doing anything, as long as I'm with you."

Your complexion immediately turned a deep pink. "David, that's really sweet! ... Okay, well, why don't we start with breakfast? I'll make us some omelettes!"

You helped David with the door to the mess hall and sat him down before heading to the kitchen. Sleeves rolled, apron tied, and hair up, you got to work. Omelettes were one of the things you'd made the most while going to school, because you could put almost anything in them - cheese, vegetables, meat - whatever you were craving.

"How do you feel about sausage and onion?"

"Sounds great!"

You diced everything and flipped the egg before adding them in, frying everything for a moment longer before folding and plating the omelette. You followed up with a second omelette for yourself and brought both plates out to David's table.

"I hope it's okay. It's been a while since I've cooked."

David eagerly cut away a piece and chowed down. "... This tastes great! Whenever I make omelettes, the edges get all burnt and crispy, haha."

You laughed and took a bite for yourself. It wasn't your best omelette ever, but you weren't entirely sure if it was lack of practice, or the fact that these might've been platypus eggs. You tried not to think about it.

When you looked up at David again, he had a bit of egg just below his cheek. You couldn't help giggling.

"What's so funny?"

You leaned forward and wiped it off his face with your napkin. "You're adorable."

He blushed, "O-Oh... T-Thank you... You do too - that apron is really cute on you."

You looked at him, a little puzzled, and then you realized. "Oh. That... That was meant to be an inside thought, haha."

David scratched the back of his head, a goofy grin on his face.

"What's that look for?"

"I haven't had a home-cooked breakfast in years... Thanks, _____. This was a perfect way to start our day at camp together."

You smiled, and had a feeling you were probably going to smiling all day. "You know, I'm pretty sure Gwen planned this. I wouldn't put it past her to try and give us a 'date day', haha..."

"Then... today's gonna be our first date?"

Your blush grew. "Yeah... I mean, if you want it to be?"

David reached forward and held your hand in his. "I'd like that very much."

\---

The morning weather had been lovely. You'd shared a lovely boat ride around Spooky Island. David had rowed for part of the trip, but you took over to keep him from overexerting himself. So, of course, with his hands free, he serenaded you for the remainder of the voyage. All these years later, he still remembered your favourite songs.

For a breather, you'd decided to lay down by the docks, enjoying the gentle breeze.

"Hey, David?"

"Hmm?"

"How did you meet Bonquisha?"

He turned his head to you suddenly, clearly surprised. "Oh. I guess Gwen told you about her, huh?"

You laughed a little. "I'm not upset, or anything. Just curious."

David laughed in turn. "It was actually Max' doing. He stole my phone during Preston's first camp play and pretended to be me on Tinder."

"Pfft-- Holy crap, he would. So I take it she showed up extremely surprised?"

"Was she ever! She thought Neil was me!"

You burst out laughing. "He's like... 4'9"! How did she even?"

"I know! But even though Max confessed before I got in any real trouble, she insisted we still go on one date. And... well, one date led to our brief relationship... before she broke up with me..."

You shuffled closer to David on the cool grass. "Well, I'm glad she did. Otherwise, we might not be here."

He smiled at you. "I think, in the end, we just weren't right for each other. It's true; I'm not the biggest, strongest guy..."

"But you are a big sweetheart, and I love that about you. I wouldn't change anything about you."

David turned a very bright shade of pink. "Thank you... Same goes for you, _____. You've always been kind and thoughtful, and you're great with the kids. I bet you'd be a great mom someday!"

Aaaaaand suddenly, it was your turn to be very, _very_ flushed.

"Oh! I-I mean... i-if you wanted to, of course. A-And I'm not saying... withmeoranything, that was j-just a thought, because you're caring and nurturing, and--"

You shut him up with a soft finger to his lips. You laughed quietly, shuffling even closer to rest your forehead against his shoulder. "... Maybe I might be, someday..."

He sighed softly and you felt his hand reaching for yours. Your fingers intertwined nicely, and you could feel the rough spots on his hands from years of camp work. He'd always been dedicated to learning and doing his absolute best for Camp Campbell. That was something else you loved about him.

\---

Despite your protests, David ended up making an early dinner for the both of you. You did help him in the kitchen; mostly by making sure he didn't topple over. The end result was two bowls of macaroni and cheese.

"Bon appétit!" He cheered, digging right in.

You munched on your first spoonful and were instantly pleased. The cheese coated the pasta beautifully, and each bite was deliciously creamy.

"Okay. I'll trade my omelette recipe for your mac 'n cheese?"

"Sounds like a fair trade to me!"

You finished up dinner and insisted upon doing all the dishes, no matter how many pouty faces David threw your way. Then you made your way back to David's cabin for a movie.

"Any movie suggestions?" You asked.

"Hmm... Gwen always has us watch horror or action movies..."

"Really? I thought for sure she'd be a fan of cheesy romance movies, given how much she's talked about her slash-fiction..."

"Me too! Apparently she just prefers coming up with her own romance stories, which is fair. She did briefly date a fish... man..."

You looked at David, a little dumbfounded. "... Okay, next chance we get, you and Gwen are telling me _that_ story, haha."

David ended up settling on "Trolls", which, honestly, didn't surprise you as much as you thought it would. He said he'd wanted to watch it for some time, but Gwen had no interested, and he didn't like watching movies alone. It was a musical movie, so you could see why he'd want to see it - and also why Gwen wouldn't.

The two of you changed into your pjs and grabbed some Flower Scout lemon lilies before you settled snugly into his armchair - which was almost comedically too big for him alone - and hit 'Play'.

The movie, overall, was cheerful and enjoyable! The animation had been beautifully done, and you were impressed with the textures used to keep everything coordinated. The music had also been very well composed, and you knew David would probably be singing a number of them well into next week.

"That was a great suggestion, David. I'm glad we got to watch it together." You carefully stood, stretching your legs a little before ejecting the DVD and putting it back on his shelf.

"Me too, I loved it! What a wonderful use of 'True Colors'..." His voice faded as he yawned loudly.

You giggled softly at his cute, sleepy expression. "Mhm, that was definitely my favourite scene. They're so sweet!"

You offered David your arm, rather than his crutches, since his bed was right there, and helped him out of the chair.

"_____... I don't know what I do if you ever stopped smiling."

He caught you off guard and you were immediately flustered. "Aww, David..! You don't have to worry about that. As long as you don't get stuck in any more caves, I think we'll be just fine."

David smiled a little apologetically and you sighed softly. "Seriously, though? I don't think I've ever been that scared before..."

You sat by his side on the bed, letting your head rest on his shoulder. "You know, I'm still a little scared of the dark... but I couldn't bear to think of you alone in that cave. When I heard your voice... it was like nothing else mattered - I had to find you."

His arm wrapped around your shoulders, and it was comforting and warm. "I'll never stop being thankful that you found me. _And_ thankful that.. Daniel didn't hurt you. I couldn't forgive myself if he had..."

"He almost did... I'm thankful for Gwen for saving me at that time."

David pulled away, and you looked up to see his shocked expression. "... He did?"

Oh shit.

"... I'm sorry, I thought Gwen would've told you at the hospital..."

He turned to face you, his expression suddenly serious, yet worried. "What did he do?"

You held David's hand gently. "He was dressed like you. Everyone thought it was the craziest thing, how 'you' were acting - yelling at the campers. So I thought I'd sit down with you and talk things out... Daniel took the opportunity to take advantage of my feelings..."

Before you could say another word, David had you in a tight embrace. You couldn't help but feel a little uneasy realizing you and Daniel had been in this same position that night... but you knew Daniel was far, far away.

"I'm so sorry. If I'd been better... If I hadn't let my guard down, he never would have..."

You returned the embrace, rubbing gentle circles on his back. "It's okay, David... He got the best of all of us. And in the end, you and I are both here, together, while he's off rotting somewhere."

David straightened himself and you found him teary-eyed and sniffling. You smiled at him and wiped a stray tear before it could run down his cheek.

"... I'll make sure nothing like that ever happens again. I promise I'll always be with you... a-as long as you want me to be."

You giggled again. "Of course I do. I can't imagine life without you, David. I think I'd be happy working at Camp Campbell with you until we're as old as Campbell - and maybe even longer, haha."

That brought a smile back to his face. "I'd love that very much. And I'll work hard when we're not at camp too! I'd love to travel with you, someday. I know there's lots of amazing things to see and do out there..."

David yawned again and you followed suit. "It seems our dreams for the future will have to take a temporary backseat for some dreamland dreams."

You stood and went to pull out the extra cot when David caught your wrist.

"I, um... I-If.. If it's not too f-forward of me... I was thinking.. we could share my bed tonight...? I mean... Wow, I guess it's kind of insensitive of me to ask, after what you just told me. Sorry, f-forget that--"

"I.. don't mind," you interrupted his rambling. "It's kinda chilly tonight... y'know?"

David smiled nervously and shuffled back on his mattress, giving you plenty of space. "I promise I won't try any funny business. I just... I don't want to be apart from you tonight..."

You returned a warm smile and carefully crawled in beside him, tucking your feet under the covers. He was so close, so warm. You breathed in and he smelt of pine.

He tucked one arm under your pillow and cautiously rested the other over your waist. "I-Is this okay..?"

"Mhmm," you nodded shyly. Your hands were resting comfortably between the two of you, but you couldn't help reaching out to him, gripping the fabric of his shirt. "... Hey, David?"

"Yeah?"

Your heartbeat was echoing in your ears, making it difficult to think. You took a breath, shut your eyes, and closed the gap between your lips. David barely hesitated before gently kissing you back. When you pulled away, your eyes met, and you were both breathless and flushed.

"... S-Sorry... Was that.. too much?" You looked down, sideways, down again; too nervous to look him in the eye.

His hand came to your chin and tilted your gaze back up. David dipped down and kissed you again. He was gentle and patient - everything about him made you feel safe. And so you kissed him back, a little braver than before. When you pulled away again, you were both smiling.

"That was my first kiss," you mumbled, gripping his shirt once more.

"Mine too," he chuckled. "And then my second, haha."

"You never kissed Bonquisha..?"

He shook his head. "She never wanted to."

You frowned for a brief moment before pecking him on the lips a third time. "Her loss. I like your kisses."

David pressed his forehead to yours and sighed happily.

"Sweet dreams, _____."

"You too... I can't wait to wake up to your cute, sleeping face."

"Haha, not if I wake up to yours first."

"Hey, no fair!"

The two of you laughed together before sharing one more kiss and drifting off in each other's arms.

This was going to be a great summer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♥♥ And that's the end! I'm a sucker for the moment a couple shares their first kiss, so I didn't wanna leave it out - but I also felt like they wouldn't just smooch after confessing for the first time, ahaha.  
> Why "Trolls", you ask? Because I ADORE this animatic by Marley Mango ♥ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfSMoGAcMH0
> 
> If anyone would like me to write some soft smut for these two (or any other slice-of-life scenarios), absolutely feel free to let me know in the comments ♥ I'm happy to follow up with little drabbles! ♥


	8. [BONUS] Alone Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You know there's no such thing as a "perfect evening", but you've got a feeling this is pretty close~♥

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all have asked, and asked, and who am I to deny? ;3 Soft smut ahead, folks ♥ I hope you enjoy (it's been a while since I've written David)~

Another peaceful week of camp had passed and David was back up on his feet. You were more than ecstatic to see him zipping around camp like his usual self; crutch and cast-free! All that was left to do was his final doctor's check-up and to deliver your fundraising check to Sleepy Peak General. You'd just finished packing up as Gwen and the kids came up the path.

"Are you sure you'll be okay on your own for the morning, Gwen?" you asked her. "We can always reschedule the appointment."

She waved her hand calmly. "Nah, I'll be fine. QM should have Campbell back by early afternoon anyway, and I'm sure the kids don't mind a chill morning."

"You got that right," Max chimed in, idly playing with a yo-yo. "I mean, I'd honestly rather go back to bed than spend the morning doing arts and crafts. But it's still better than a sports day with Campbell."

You couldn't help chuckling at his comment. You were honestly impressed with how well-behaved Max had been this past week. Even if he never admitted to it, he'd seemed worried about David's health.

"You've been a great example for the other campers, Max," David beamed from the passenger seat window. "I promise we'll make s'mores when we come back this evening!"

Max rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, sounds great. Just get going already so we can go back inside."

You caught Nikki giggling to herself at Max' comment and shared in the sentiment. "Okay, Max, we'll get going. Try not to have _too_ much fun without us."

You double-checked to make sure the folder with David's paperwork sat safely in the backseat of the campmobile before circling around and getting in the driver's seat. David waved goodbye to the kids as you drove out of camp.

"Thanks again for driving me, _____," David leaned over and gave you a peck on the cheek.

"You're welcome," you replied, your cheeks a soft pink. "I'd be lying if I said it wasn't partially to spend some quality time with you. Just the two of us, on a little trip into town."

He smiled brightly. "I don't think there's anything wrong with that!"

The two of you spent the drive playing "I spy", which David excelled at. Who knew there were so many species of birds and trees in the Sleepy Peak region?

When you arrived in town, you parked the car in a permitted spot and walked the short distance to the hospital. "I'm really glad to see you back to your usual self, David."

"It's all thanks to your care, and the support of the campers!" David cheered. "I was so proud of Dolph for putting together that bouquet of wild flowers!"

"And Neil really surprised me with his recipe for a two-veggie smoothie... I'll admit, I am gonna miss doting on you in bed, hehe..."

David blushed a little. "I really owe you one. On your next day off, I should bring you breakfast in bed!"

"I'd like that," you smiled up at him, taking his hand in yours. "You can show me how your omelettes are coming along."

You arrived at Sleepy Peak General before you knew it, and the receptionist greeted you both with a smile. "Welcome back, you two! David, it's good to see you're back on your own two feet!"

"Thank you! Of course, I owe a great thanks to all the staff who treated me during my stay here." He turned to you and you handed him the cheque and a small box. "So alongside our payment for your services, _____ and I baked some oatmeal cookies as a token of our appreciation!"

She accepted them excitedly. "That's so sweet of you! I'll be sure to share these with everyone. You two are probably the nicest patients we've had in a while!"

"We really are grateful," you said, gently taking David's arm. "I don't know what I would've done if David hadn't recovered..."

The receptionist stood, came around the counter, and gave you both a warm hug. "We're very glad that you _both_ made it. The authorities gave us a brief rundown of what happened, so we'd know what to look for while taking care of David. You were smart not to move David too much when you found him, _____."

"She's really something special," David mused aloud, causing you to blush.

"Well," she stood back, giving you a slight smirk, "thank you, again, for stopping by! I'll let you two enjoy the rest of this beautiful day! The Only Bar is a having a special for date nights; BOGO 50% on entrées and free dessert!"

David pondered for a moment, "We really should head back to camp..."

"I can give Gwen a call and see what she thinks? If she needs us, we'll drive back asap."

He nodded and gently kissed your temple as you pulled out your phone. The two of you waved goodbye to the receptionist as she sat back behind her desk. Once you were outside, you dialed Gwen and waited. One ring... two...

_"Hey, what's up?"_

"Hey! We're all finished up at the hospital, just wanted to check in. The staff told us that there's a dinner special in town, and we were thinking of going out. But _only_ if you don't need us back at camp for the afternoon."

There was a pause and you presumed Gwen was taking a look around. _"We should be fine. Campbell and QM came back a little while ago and Campbell's been telling the kids adventure stories over lunch. We'll just keep today a chill day all around. You two have fun!"_

"Thanks, Gwen! You're the best! Want me to grab you anything?"

_"Oh! Actually, yeah! Could you stop by the bookstore and pickup an order for me? Just let them know it's under my name - thanks!"_

"Sure thing! See you later!"

"I take it that means everything's okay back at camp?" David asked.

You looked over and David had gotten surprisingly close while you were on your phone. "Y-Yup! Campbell is apparently regaling the kids with story-time, so they're just gonna settle in and relax. I've just gotta grab a book for Gwen!"

"That sounds great! I've gotta admit; I'm a little jealous of the kids - I used to love hearing Mr. Campbell tell us about his journeys around the world!"

"Do you wanna head back then? I'm okay either way, if you don't wanna miss out on--"

David cut you off with a soft kiss. "Nope. As much as I love the way he tells a good tale, they're all stories I've heard before. I wouldn't pass up the opportunity for a new adventure with you."

You could feel your cheeks flush as you hid your face against David's shoulder. "You're the best, you know that?"

"Well, I'm glad you think so! You deserve the best, after all."

"O-Okay, mister, enough mushy talk outta you!" you stuttered and took his hand. "Let's go grab Gwen's book, so we can head to The Only Bar. I imagine they'll have a line for that special!"

The bookstore wasn't too far from the hospital, and it seemed that The Only Bar was just a little farther down the road.

"_____, why don't you head on in and grab that book order? I'm just gonna pop over to the general store for some supplies!"

"Sure thing, David! I'll meet you back here?"

"Can't wait!"

You stepped into the bookstore and quickly made your way to the customer service desk. Unsurprising in this small town, the store wasn't the least bit busy, and the clerk was passing time by reading a book of his own.  
"Excuse me?"

He looked up and smiled, closing the pages around a tasseled bookmark. "Well, hello! How can I help you today?"

"I'm here to pick up an order under 'Gwen'. She didn't mention what kind of book it is, though."

The clerk laughed softly. "Oh, I know exactly which order is hers. Gwen's a bit of a regular here; she comes in every time this author publishes a new work."

You watched as he disappeared into the back room and waited for a little while. You could hear him fumbling around with boxes until he eventually returned to the front.

"Here we are!" He presented you with a book-sized parcel, wrapped in brown paper. "She's prepaid for the book, so you're all good to go!"

"Thanks!" You waved goodbye and left the store.

David hadn't returned yet, so you took a moment to text Gwen. _'Successfully grabbed your order :)'_

_'Thank you! See you later - try not to have too much fun ;P'_

You chuckled and rolled your eyes as you tucked your phone away. Mere moments later, David came around the corner, a small shopping bag in hand. "Hey!"

"You ready to get some grub?"

David nodded as he offered you his arm. The two of you made your way to The Only Bar and were pleasantly greeted by the host. "Table for two, please!"

She nodded politely and grabbed two menus. "Please follow me to your table."

You were seated between the bar and a small stage they'd set up for the evening. There were various instruments at the ready, but no one playing at the moment. You looked back to David, who looked a little anxious.  
"Everything okay?"

"Hmm?" He turned his focus to you. "... Oh! Y-Yeah, everything's fine! It's just--"

He was unfortunately cut off by your waitress. She had bright pink hair and spoke with a Southern accent. "Are y'all ready to order?"

You noticed David hiding behind his menu a little as he murmured. "We'd like a few more minutes, please."

She nodded and left, but you were quite puzzled. "She doesn't look that scary to me..!"

That earned you a chuckle from your boyfriend. "N-No, it's just that the last time I was here, I lost my temper a bit... and she was my waitress that night, ahah..."

Your eyes widened a little. "You? A temper? Why, what happened?"

He grimaced a little and took a deep breath. "Well, last time I was here was the first time I met Bonquisha's new boyfriend..."

"Ohh..." You nodded in understanding. "Yeah, that's never fun... Was he a jerk to you?"

David's frown grew a little. "No, h-he was perfectly polite... I guess I was just upset that she'd moved on so quickly, when I'd just barely gotten through my week. The kids even tried to get us back together so I'd cheer up."

You held his hand on the table. "It's perfectly normal to be upset about that. No one enjoys feeling like they've been left behind..."

"Mhmm," David's face lit up just a little and he gave your hand a gentle squeeze. "I don't feel bad about it anymore, though. I apologized to them both, of course, and they forgave me. I hope they're happy together!"

"That's good," you smiled and brought his hand up to your cheek, "and I hope you're happy too?"

"Of course!" he replied, probably a tad louder than intended. "I get to make so many special, new memories with you! I can't imagine what would make me happier."

You blushed and nuzzled into the palm of his hand. You almost didn't notice the waitress come back. She was smiling widely, pen and notepad at the ready. "Have y'all decided on what you wanna order tonight?"

In all honesty, you'd been so busy talking, you hadn't looked at your menus. You both gave it a quick once-over before ordering. Steak and potatoes for David, and pork-chops with steamed vegetables for you. She jotted it all down then made her merry way to the kitchen.

David began telling you more about the days at camp before you'd arrived this summer. How they found the platypus, meeting Quartermaster's sister, the summer social - he made it all sound so exciting.

"Wait, you were scared to go into the city?" you chuckled softly. "I wish I knew you were around - I would've popped by and helped out!"

He joined in with an awkward laugh. "Yeah... That was when we initially sold Camp Campbell to Camp Corp. I'm glad Max made me realize we needed to keep things running our way! It.. may have been a bit underhanded, but I'm glad we got the Campwells to agree in the end. And! Mr. Campbell learned an important lesson about teamwork! So, all in all, everything turned out great!"

"You can say that again. I dunno how I would've found you again if it wasn't for the camp..."

David smiled softly and gently kissed the back of your hand. He was about to say something more when another restaurant patron started yelling. "Hey, where's the entertainment?"

You glanced to the stage and realized it was still empty. You were enjoying David's company, so you hadn't thought much about the lack of ambient sound.

"Yeah! We were told there would be music tonight!"

"Where's the band?"

"I can't eat like this!"

Various voices overlapped and the pub soon grew quite loud. The manager stepped onto the stage and took the mic.

"Now settle down, please! We understand that you're all upset, but unfortunately, our musical guest for the evening has fallen ill and will be unable to perform. We're currently working on getting our regular sound system up and running."

"Aww man, our date night is ruined!"

"We don't want that old, same-old, same-old crap!"

Several "boo"s rose from the tables around you. One man even threw a tomato slice from his plate at the manager. David looked around, looked at the stage, and then to you. "Well, this is a sour turn of events... Should we head out before everyone gets too rowdy?"

You thought for a moment. It'd be easy enough to get out and just go back to camp... but you were really looking forward to this evening. You'd checked in with Gwen to make sure they didn't need you back earlier and you wanted to commit to a date night with David.

You stood and told David you'd be right back. With a little struggle, you made your way to the stage and asked the manager, "How does your regular system work?"

He deflected another tomato slice and said, "It just plugs into a phone. We usually rotate through employees' playlists during the week..."

You smiled and brought up a song on your phone. "Could you plug this in, and then turn on the live mic?"

He nodded and scurried off stage. You took the mic and addressed the angry patrons. "Okay, that's enough, people! I know it's not what you wanted, but you can't let this ruin your evenings. And you certainly shouldn't ruin the evenings of those around you." You gestured to the folks who'd remained in their seats - David included.

When the manager returned with your phone, hooked into the system, you pressed play. The system crackled to life and the drum beat picked up. "Maybe it's not exactly what you expected tonight, but let's compromise a little?"

Intrigued, everyone sat down as the melody picked up and you began singing.

_"I don't want to make a scene_  
_I don't want to let you down_  
_Try to do my own thing _  
_And I'm starting to figure it out_ __

____

_That it's alright; keep it together_  
_Wherever we go_  
_And it's alright; oh well, whatever _  
_Everybody needs to know_ __

____

_You might be crazy_  
_Have I told you lately that I love you?_  
_You're the only reason that I'm not afraid to fly_  
_And it's crazy that someone could change me_  
_Now, no matter what it is I have to do, I'm not afraid to try_  
_And you need to know that you're the reason why"_

Of course, you'd chosen the song because it reminded you of David, and you loved singing for him. The crowd seemed to enjoy it, as you could see a happy mix of couples who'd gotten up to dance along, and couples that stayed at their tables, holding hands with their chairs scooched together.

When you finished the song, you took a bow and everyone applauded. The manager clapped especially loudly as he joined you back on stage. You handed him the mic and he suggested to turn the evening into an open mic karaoke - everyone cheered! You happily reunited with David at your table.

"Well, I'm glad that worked out!" you sighed in relief as you sat down, your food awaiting you. "This is much better!"

David was simply gazing at you, a goofy grin on his face.

"What's that look for?" you giggled slightly.

"You never cease to amaze me, _____," he replied, leaning forward and kissing your forehead.

You blushed as you pressed your foreheads together. "I just like making you smile."

The two of you enjoyed your meals while listening to your fellow patrons sing everything from classical, to jazz, to rock. Not everyone was the greatest vocalist, but you were happy to see everyone having so much fun.

When you were finished, you asked for the check. Instead, the manager followed your waitress to your table and told you that your meals for the evening were on the house, as a thank you for saving the evening. You thanked him profusely as the waitress handed you a dessert box and bid you a lovely night. 

"What a happy ending indeed," you beamed as David laced his fingers between yours. "We should see if he'd like to make karaoke a monthly event!"

David agreed, smiling, but you couldn't help notice he looked a little anxious again. When you arrived at the car, he surprised you and circled round to the driver's seat.

"Are you feeling strong enough to drive?" you asked as you sat beside him.

"A short drive should be all right..." He took the key and started the engine, but didn't touch the gear shift. David's mouth was a hard line and he simply stared ahead, down the road.

"David..? What's wrong?"

He let out a breath you hadn't realized he was holding. "Nothing's wrong... I, uh... I was just wondering... I was wondering.. i-if you'd like to spend a night.. outside of camp..?"

"Outside of camp...?" you sat forward and urged him to look at you. "I'm afraid I don't quite follow. You don't want to go back to camp?"

"It's not that. I was just thinking that we could.. s-spend the night... _alone_ together...?"

His words played around in your head for a moment longer before it clicked. "O-Oh..! Y-You were asking about...-- I see..."

"Of course, I completely understand i-if you'd rather not. We have only been dating for a few weeks, after all. I was thinking that we could take advantage of a quiet summer night, but maybe it's too soon? .. Yeah, i-it's probably too soon, I'm sorry. _____, don't worry about it, we can always--"

You pressed a finger to his lips to stop him from rambling. "It's okay, David. I-I'm not upset or anything, just a little surprised..."

The car was silent for a little while, as you processed your thoughts. Was it too soon? You were almost at two months, which might be a little early.. but you'd also known David since you were kids. He was anything but a stranger... and you knew you loved him.  
You took a deep breath and took his hand gently. "Should... Should we check in with Gwen again..?"

David chuckled and scratched the nape of his neck. "I actually.. already told Gwen we might not come back tonight. Texted her earlier and she just replied with two 'thumbs up' emojis, haha..."

"That does sound like Gwen," you laughed softly. "... Umm.. Y-yeah, I think.. a night _alone_ together sounds really nice..."

"Okay..! We'll go check in at the local hotel then!" David's smile grew, but you could hear his voice still shaking. It was honestly kind of sweet, and you wondered how much time he'd spent thinking about tonight.

The hotel wasn't too far from where you'd parked, and being a small town, parking was easy to find. Of course, that meant they also had a room available, which David paid for, and the two of you went up the stairs.

"This is so charming!" you gushed a little as you entered the room. It was charmingly rustic, like a cozy, summer cabin. The bedding had been lovingly fluffed, and the room smelled of lavender and rainwater.

"It's all so sweet... You didn't ask them to prepare all this, did you?" You turned around to find David a bright shade of pink. 

"I may have made a phone call while you were grabbing Gwen's book... I wanted tonight to be really special..."

You rushed into his arms and buried your face against his chest. "It's lovely, David. It feels warm and safe... Exactly how I feel when I'm with you..."

He kissed the top of your head and gently nudged your jacket from your shoulders. You let him take it from you and hang it in the closet, followed by his vest and yellow shirt turned neckerchief. Then he walked you to the bed, your hand in his. You hoisted yourself up, backward, so you never had to take your eyes away from him.

You both knelt on the bed, facing each other, and you cupped David's face in your hands. "You're wonderful, y'know that?"

"So are you, _____," he replied, leaning in for a kiss. As always, he was incredibly gentle with you. His hands rested comfortably on your waist, shaking only a little.

You pulled back to look at him again. "You know I trust you, David."

"I know," he sighed a little. "I'm just... I don't want to hurt you, o-or.. bring back any distasteful memories..."

You kissed him again; this time, with a little more force behind it. "You are the sweetest, most compassionate guy I've ever met. I'm not nervous at all, David, and it's because it's _you_..."

His smile brightened considerably, and you felt his hands stop shaking. He pulled at the hem of your shirt, then stopped. "Nerves aside, I'm still a little... shy?" He chuckled softly.

You laughed with him and then raised your arms playfully. "Me first, then you?"

David nodded and carefully pulled your shirt over your head. You shivered a little when the cool air of the room made contact with your skin and David immediately wrapped his arms around you. You returned the embrace and used the chance to tug at his shirt. When he was ready, David mimicked you and raised his arms.

You stripped him and when he also shivered, you moved back in and hugged him back. "Off to a good start, hmm?"

"Yeah," he smiled down at you and pressed your foreheads together.

The two of you looked at each other for a moment, both blushing as expected. David appeared thin in his clothes, but years of camp work had given him a decent build. His chest and stomach were nicely defined and you couldn't help giving his bicep a gentle squeeze.

When you made your way back to his face, you noticed his cheeks were practically red as he was slack-jawed and staring at your chest. You giggled softly and brushed a loose strand of hair from your face. "You don't have to stare that hard, y'know? I'm.. not _quite_ topless yet..."

David audibly gulped and you realized he was nervous again.

You pondered for a moment before deciding to make the next move. You took his hands in yours and moved them around your back, until his fingers found the clasp. Once there, he needed surprisingly little help un-clipping it, and you shyly removed your bra.  
Seeing David's eyes widen forced a warm blush onto your cheeks, and you resisted the reflex to cover yourself. "D... H-How do I look..?"

David's response came in the form of another kiss. His hands now rested confidently on your hips and the way he kissed you now left you a little breathless. Gently, slowly, he urged you farther up the bed and the two of you came to lay beside each other.  
"I like kissing you," David murmured sweetly, brushing your hair from your face.

You smiled and kissed his nose. "That's good. I like kissing you too."

David was nothing but patient and careful with you. Every now and then, you felt his hands tremble against your skin. You made sure to lean into his touches, to let him know you were okay. So when his fingers finally found the rise of your shorts, you gently pushed his thumb between the fabric and your hip.

You felt him hesitate, and you couldn't really blame him. If your heart was beating any louder, you felt you'd go deaf for sure. You pulled away so he could clearly see your face - your smile. He let you shuffle around on the sheets until you were underneath him; his knees between your legs.

"You really don't have to be so nervous..." you brushed your fingers on his cheek, "I... I want you, David."

You made your point more clear by taking his hands and placing them just below your chest. You then slid your fingers under your shorts, under your panties, and pulled them down, kicking them past your ankles and off the edge of the bed.

Then there was silence. Nothing but your heartbeat in your ears. You wondered if you should've only removed your shorts... But before you could say anything, David surprised you. He boldly cupped your breasts in his palms and gave them a gentle squeeze, eliciting a gasp from your lips.

"You're so soft..." he whispered. David leaned down to leave a trail of kisses along your clavicle and then your neck, making you shudder. Then he moved one hand between your legs, his fingers clumsily finding their way to your entrance.

You whimpered slightly as he slipped a finger inside you. It was certainly different from the times you'd.. experimented with yourself. David could reach a little farther than you could, and he was extremely attentive to how you reacted. It didn't take long for him to find that sweet spot, making you moan his name.

His body came closer and closer to yours until you could feel a very distinct something pressing against your thigh. You took a chance and deliberately stroked his length with the heel of your hand, making him groan. David sat up and removed his belt, letting it slide to the floor. You couldn't help staring when he followed your example; stripping his bottoms off entirely, exposing himself.

As he threw his clothes to the floor, you propped yourself up on your elbows and reached forward. His girth fit in your palm snugly, but the length worried you a little.

It must've shown on your face, because he asked, "E-Everything okay..?"

"Yeah..." you smiled up at him, letting yourself fall back against the pillows. "M'just wondering if it'll fit, heh..."

David chuckled softly, shyly, and reached for the bag he'd brought from the general store. You felt your cheeks heat up as you realized what he was grabbing. "Can't forget this... right?"

You nodded. Of course he'd bought condoms while you were occupied at the bookstore. "Thanks for always thinking ahead.."

Once he was ready, David settled back between your legs, letting your thighs rest comfortably against his hips. He lined himself up, his other hand on your waist, and you could feel the tip meet your lips. David locked eyes with you, and slowly entered.

You cried out softly as he slowly stretched you, and your hands gripped your pillow tightly. He continued forward until his hips met yours, and then he stopped. "_____, are you okay?"

"Mhmm..!" you bit your lip and smiled, your voice coming in small breaths. "I-I've just... never felt so _full_ before..."

David rested one arm beside you, the other still holding your waist. He carefully pulled out, then thrust back in, groaning softly. "L-Let me know if it's too much...?"

You brought both arms around his neck and kissed him sweetly. "I will... P-Please keep going, David.."

He quickly settled on a slow pace, patiently letting you adjust. Every time he hilted inside you, you moaned and gasped. You'd always heard that your first time would hurt, but David was so gentle with you... Before long, you found yourself wanting more of him. You nuzzled his cheek, prompting him to face you, and you kissed him again.

"D-Does it f-feel okay..?"

"You f-feel amazing, _____..." He was panting, almost speaking through his teeth. "It's s-so warm and t-tight..."

You wrapped your legs around his waist and smiled. "Do you wanna go.. a-a little faster..?"

David smiled and kissed you before doing just that. His thrusts grew a little stronger and he pushed your legs up until his hips were audibly smacking your ass.

The new angle made you moan loudly against his lips, fervently pulling him closer. Before long, you could hear him groaning and gasping, struggling to keep his pace even. Although you wanted this to last forever, the heat in your core was building, and you knew you couldn't hold out much longer. You took one hand between your legs and rolled your clit between your fingers.

David suddenly pulled your hips flush against him as he groaned your name loudly. You could feel him twitch and pulse inside you as you reached your own climax. You cried out his name, your walls clenched around him, and his lips crashed against yours as the two of you rode out the high together.

Spent, David carefully pulled out and flopped down beside you, panting heavily. He managed to snake one arm beneath your pillow as the other wrapped around your waist, pulling you close. You rolled onto your side to face him, smiling and out of breath. He kissed you again, and you sighed happily. 

"David..?"

"Y-Yeah..?"

"I love you."

His eyes widened for a brief moment before a bright smile erupted on his cheeks. David kissed your forehead and held you even closer. "I love you too, _____."

You were both warm and a little sticky, but you could wait until morning to shower. For the first time in your life, you felt peaceful and safe in the arms of someone you loved. Someone who loved you too. Your hands rested against David's chest and you could feel the muscles rise and fall as he breathed. This was your lullaby as you slowly drifted off to sleep.

This really was the perfect summer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Definitely a longer chapter than I'm used to, but this was written over a couple months ^^; and I apparently had a lot I wanted to add, ahaha ♥ This is the song Reader sings in The Only Bar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJS4mUZOOmI


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